• Source:JND
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Sameer Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service officer and former NCB official who arrested Aryan Khan in the 2021 drug case, has moved the Delhi High Court seeking a permanent injunction against the recently released Netflix show Bads of Bollywood, directed by Aaryan Khan, claiming that the series “disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions."

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Wankhede has claimed Rs 2 crore in damages from Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies Entertainment, the producer of The Ba**ds of Bollywood, stating that the amount will be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to support the treatment of cancer patients.

A statement from Wankhede read, "Sameer Wankhede, IRS Officer, has filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court seeking reliefs in the nature of permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, the OTT platform, Netflix and others, having been aggrieved by a false, malicious, and defamatory video produced by Red Chillies and broadcast by Netflix as part of their television series titled The Ba***ds of Bollywood.

"This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions," read the statement.

Wankhede’s statement to the media read that the case involving him and Aryan Khan is still pending and sub-judice before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court, Mumbai. He further claimed that the series depicts a character making an obscene gesture, specifically showing a middle finger after reciting the slogan “Satyamev Jayate,” which is part of the National Emblem, constituting a grave violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, with penal consequences under law. 

Additionally, he stated that the content of the series contravenes various provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by seeking to outrage national sentiment through obscene and offensive material.

What They Have Shown In The Episode 

In the first episode of The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, a character clearly modeled after Sameer Wankhede appears outside a Bollywood party, searching for people from “Bollywood… who are doing drugs.” In the scene, the officer storms into a glamorous party and spots a man smoking a joint. When he realizes the man is not from Bollywood, he loses interest and lets him go. Shortly after, he encounters another man who isn’t using drugs, only sipping a drink, but because he is part of Bollywood, he is immediately arrested.

Sameer Wankhede Arrested Aryan Khan In 2021 Drug Case 

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Aryan Khan was involved in a high-profile case with former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede. In 2021, he was arrested on a cruise ship for allegedly possessing and consuming drugs. The case took a dramatic turn when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) accused Wankhede of attempting to extort Rs 25 crore from the Khan family in exchange for leniency for Aryan. The CBI alleged that Wankhede and his associates demanded the bribe, with Rs 50 lakh reportedly paid, though Wankhede denied the accusations.