Snehashish roy
Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede, who garnered national attention for the 2021 arrest of Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in a high-profile drugs case, has initiated legal action. Wankhede has filed a defamation suit against the recently released web series B*ds of Bollywood, which is notably directed by Aryan Khan and produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, the production house owned by Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan. The legal challenge claims the series maligns the former officer’s reputation and negatively portrays law enforcement agencies.
Wankhede’s suit, which levels serious allegations of defamation, has been filed against both Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix, the streaming platform on which the series premiered. The case is scheduled to be heard by the Delhi High Court on Friday before a bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. This legal move brings the contentious history between Wankhede and the Khan family back into the national spotlight, albeit in a new cinematic and judicial context.
The suit demands ₹2 crore in damages, alleging that B*ds of Bollywood presents a “colourable and prejudicial” portrayal designed to damage Wankhede’s professional standing and personal reputation. In a significant detail, the suit requests that the entire ₹2 crore in damages, if awarded, be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital specifically for the welfare of cancer patients. This demand adds a layer of public-interest advocacy to the legal action, framing the suit as a fight not just for personal reputation but for a charitable cause.
Sameer Wankhede Alleges National Insult and Institutional Malignancy
Beyond the personal defamation claim, the petition raises broader objections concerning the series’ depiction of anti-drug enforcement agencies. It explicitly accuses B*ds of Bollywood of presenting a distorted and negative portrayal of these institutions, arguing that such content could potentially erode public trust in law enforcement. Wankhede’s plea suggests that the series’ narrative choices are a direct attack on the integrity of government agencies tasked with fighting drug crime.
The plea also raises serious concerns over a particular scene that, according to Wankhede, constitutes a violation of national honor. The scene allegedly depicts a character raising the middle finger immediately after uttering the national slogan “Satyamev Jayate” (Truth Alone Triumphs). Wankhede contends that this act is a direct transgression of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and is punishable under Indian law. The inclusion of this specific charge adds a significant dimension to the lawsuit, transforming it from a personal defamation case into a matter concerning national symbols and respect for the rule of law.
The Precedent: The 2021 Cruise Ship Raid
The backdrop to this entire legal battle is the dramatic incident that occurred in October 2021. Aryan Khan was arrested in connection with a drugs raid conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The raid, led by then-Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede from the NCB’s Mumbai unit, targeted a cruise ship, Cordelia Cruises, off the city coast. Aryan Khan, along with several others, was subsequently arrested under accusations that included consumption and “conspiracy,” among other charges.
The arrest memo at the time stated that Aryan Khan was placed under arrest for “involvement in consumption, sale and purchase” of contraband. During the raid, the NCB claimed to have seized a significant quantity of drugs and cash, including 13 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of MD, 21 grams of charas, 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy), and ₹1.33 lakh in cash. The case was filed under multiple sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including sections 8 (c), 20 (b), 27, and 35. This historical context provides the emotional and legal foundation for Wankhede’s current lawsuit against the series directed and produced by the Khan family.