Delhi HC Summons Red Chillies, Netflix in Sameer Wankhede Defamation Case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued summons to Shah Rukh Khan’s production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, and Netflix in a defamation suit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, over allegedly defamatory content in the web series The Ba**ds of Bollywood*.

Wankhede is seeking ₹2 crore in damages, with the amount earmarked for donation to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.

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Notices to Tech Giants and Media Firms

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav also issued notices to X Corp, Google, Meta, and RPSG Lifestyle Media, directing them to respond within seven days. The court scheduled the next hearing for October 30 and declined to grant an interim injunction at this stage.

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Claims in the Plea

Wankhede’s legal team contends that the series portrays anti-drug agencies in a negative light, potentially prejudicing pending cases involving Aryan Khan. The plea also cites a scene in which a character allegedly makes an obscene gesture after saying “Satyamev Jayate”, claiming this violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

The case highlights the ongoing tension between creative freedom in OTT content and concerns over reputational harm to public officials.