Breaking News: Sameer Wankhede Files Defamation Suit Against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix
Maharashtra Mirror
Vivek Rajendra jagtap
New Delhi, [25/09/2025] – In a significant legal development, Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court seeking a permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, along with Netflix and other parties.
The action stems from a controversial video produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and broadcast on Netflix as part of their television series titled “Bads of Bollywood.”* Wankhede alleges that the series contains false, malicious, and defamatory content aimed at tarnishing his reputation and misleadingly portraying anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby undermining public trust in law enforcement institutions.
According to the petition, the series was “deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Wankhede’s reputation” in connection with the ongoing Aryan Khan drug case, which remains sub judice before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court, Mumbai.
The suit further highlights a highly objectionable scene where a character displays a middle finger gesture after reciting the patriotic slogan “Satyamev Jayate,” which forms part of India’s National Emblem. Wankhede argues that this act constitutes a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, carrying potential penal consequences.
Additionally, the petition claims that the series violates provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by using obscene and offensive material intended to outrage national sentiment.
Wankhede has sought damages of ₹2 crore, which he has proposed to donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients, should the court rule in his favour.
Neither Red Chillies Entertainment nor Netflix has issued an official statement in response to the allegations at the time of reporting. The matter is now slated for hearing before the Delhi High Court.
