Explained - Sameer Wankhede vs Aryan Khan: From cruise drug case to The Bads of Bollywood defamation row

Sameer Wankhede

Former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against Red Chillies Entertainment, Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Netflix, claiming that The Bads of Bollywood mocks him and portrays him in a “false, malicious, and defamatory”
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According to news agency ANI, in his law suit, Sameer Wankhede has sought relief in the nature of a permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against the production house, Netflix and others, adding that he has been aggrieved by a false, malicious, and defamatory video in Aryan Khan's directorial debut show, 'The Bads of Bollywood'.

"This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions," he claimed in his plea.

Sameer Wankhede, former NCB Mumbai zonal director, has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, global streaming platform Netflix, and others. He alleges that their series “Ba**ds…

— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2025

He also claimed that the series has been deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Sameer Wankhede's reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner, particularly when proceedings involving him and Aryan Khan remain pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court, Mumbai.

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He contended that the portrayal unfairly targets him at a time when the judicial scrutiny is ongoing.

In his lawsuit, Sameer Wankhede has sought damages of Rs 2 crore to be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients.

A scene from the show The Bads of Bollywood

aryan khan literally played here by casting sameer wankhede lookalike in the bads of bollywood 😭pic.twitter.com/fLafKiynyB

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— saif (@nightchanges) September 18, 2025

Lets look back at what the case was initially

In October 2021, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided a luxury cruise ship on the Mumbai coast and no one could have predicted how the case would spiral into one of the most high-profile legal and media controversies in the country.

SRK's eldest son Aryan Khan and his friends Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, were taken into custody. A day later, they were formally arrested.

The case immediately attracted national attention, not just because of Aryan’s celebrity status, but also because of the sweeping claims of a drug racket in Mumbai.

During the bail hearings, NCB had then argued that WhatsApp chats hinted at Aryan’s involvement in drug consumption and conspiracy.

Defence lawyers made a counter by pointing out that no drugs were found on Aryan and that the claims were only speculative.

On October 28, the Bombay High Court granted Aryan bail, noting that there was no evidence of a conspiracy.

Scrutiny of the probe

As the dust settled, there were questions as to how the case had been handled.

There were also allegations that Sameer Wankhede and his team had mishandled the investigation, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Delhi took over in November 2021.

And it was in May 2022, SRK's son Aryan Khan was given a clean chit in a 6,000-page chargesheet and the SIT admitted there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the young star kid.

When narrative shifted from Aryan to Sameer Wankhede - Allegations of bribery

This marked a turning point: the narrative shifted from Aryan Khan to Sameer Wankhede himself.

In May 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR against Sameer Wankhede and others, alleging that a bribe of Rs 25 crore was demanded from Shah Rukh Khan’s family for the release of Aryan Khan.

And that Rs 50 lakh were allegedly taken. The FIR invoked charges of criminal conspiracy, extortion, and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Sameer Wankhede filed a plea in the Bombay High Court to quash the FIR. He cited private messages from Shah Rukh Khan praising his integrity.

According to PTI, Shah Rukh then wrote to Wankhede: “God bless you. I have always had the highest regard for your uprightness. Please show some kindness, my man. I can only plead and beg you as a father. Please.”

A prolonged legal battle

The controversy didn’t end there. An internal NCB Special Enquiry Team flagged discrepancies in Sameer Wankhede’s conduct, including misreporting foreign travel and alleged links to luxury items like expensive watches.

Meanwhile, Sameer Wankhede had then accused the SIT that cleared Aryan Khan of suppressing the evidence. In 2024, the Enforcement Directorate also registered a money-laundering case based on the CBI’s FIR.

News agency PTI quoted Sameer Wankhede as saying, “It is surprising that this ECIR is based on the CBI FIR … I reiterate that I have full faith in the Indian judiciary. Satyamev Jayate.”

As of mid-2025, the CBI has informed the Bombay High Court that it expects to conclude its probe against Sameer Wankhede within three months.

Meanwhile, Sameer Wankhede has complained of online bullying from fan clubs, and in a conversation with Lucky Bisht he said: “I am a trained sniper shooter … I am qualified to protect my family and myself.”

The case has now gone far beyond the question of whether Aryan Khan consumed drugs or not. It has raised uncomfortable questions about the functioning of investigative agencies, the use of celebrity cases for publicity, and the integrity of public officials.

The Bads of Bollywood is currently streaming on Netflix. It was released on September 18.

Chronology of Events