Wankhede claims series tarnishes his reputation following Aryan Khan’s arrest in 2021.
Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit against the Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood in the Delhi High Court. This legal action follows Wankhede’s involvement in the arrest of Aryan Khan during an anti-drug raid in October 2021. Wankhede has named Red Chillies Entertainment, the production house behind the series, along with its co-founder Gauri Khan, as defendants in the suit.
Wankhede is seeking damages amounting to Rs 2 crore, which he has pledged to donate to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai. In his legal filing, Wankhede asserts that the series was “deliberately conceptualised and executed” to undermine his reputation. He argues that this portrayal is not only defamatory but also prejudicial, especially since legal proceedings related to the case remain ongoing in both the Bombay High Court and a special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances court.
A specific scene within the series has drawn particular scrutiny from Wankhede. He objects to a moment where a character makes an obscene gesture after reciting the slogan “Satyamev Jayate.” Wankhede claims that this act constitutes a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, suggesting that it undermines the dignity associated with national symbols and slogans.
Furthermore, Wankhede alleges that the series infringes upon the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He contends that the content of the series seeks to provoke outrage against national sentiments through its offensive material.
The backdrop of this legal dispute is significant. Aryan Khan was arrested along with several others, including his friend Arbaaz Merchant and model Munmun Dhamecha, during a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 2, 2021. The NCB claimed to have recovered various narcotic substances during this operation. However, on October 28, 2021, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Aryan Khan, citing a lack of drug possession and insufficient evidence of conspiracy against him.
In May 2022, the NCB cleared Aryan Khan of all charges due to the absence of corroborative evidence. Following this, Wankhede was reassigned to the Directorate General of Taxpayer Services in Chennai. Compounding the situation, a Special Investigation Team was established to investigate allegations of impropriety by NCB officers in this case. By October 2022, this team reported finding several irregularities in the investigation, indicating that there may have been preferential treatment in naming certain individuals as accused in the case.
The unfolding legal situation surrounding Wankhede and the Netflix series highlights ongoing tensions in the public narrative surrounding the case, as well as broader discussions about the portrayal of law enforcement in popular media.
