Former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede on Saturday avoided direct questions about the controversial Netflix series Ba**ds of Bollywood. Instead, he stuck to his trademark phrase, telling reporters: 'Satyamev Jayate.'
According to ANI, Wankhede was attending a drug awareness programme in Govandi, Mumbai, organised by a Samajwadi Party leader, where he served as the chief guest. Addressing the gathering, he flagged rising cases of drug consumption in Northern and Eastern Mumbai, stressing the need for 'public awareness' and 'community participation.'
“We need to educate people about what kinds of drugs are out there and the legal provisions that exist. I am happy I could interact with parents, children, religious leaders and explain the law to the best of my ability,” Wankhede said after the event, as cited by ANI.
The legal battle over Netflix series
Even as he steered clear of public comment on the Netflix show, Wankhede is in the middle of a high-stakes defamation suit against Netflix, Red Chillies Entertainment (owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan), and others.
The case was heard on Friday by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav of the Delhi High Court. Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi appeared for Wankhede, while Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi represented Netflix and Red Chillies.
At the outset, the judge asked Wankhede’s counsel to explain the jurisdiction for filing the suit in Delhi. Sethi argued that since the series was intended for audiences across India, including Delhi, and memes targeting Wankhede were circulating in the capital, Delhi was the right forum.
What Wankhede’s suit claims
In his plea, Wankhede alleges that the Netflix series:
- Deliberately misrepresents his role as an NCB officer
- Erodes public trust in anti-drug enforcement agencies
Was made with the intent to malign his reputation, especially at a time when proceedings involving him and Aryan Khan are still pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai
He has sought a permanent injunction, a mandatory injunction, and damages against the production house, Netflix and others.
“The series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of enforcement agencies, undermining public confidence,” his petition states.
The Delhi High Court refused to entertain the plea and asked why was the lawsuit filed in Delhi instead of Mumbai.
The backdrop: Aryan Khan case and public scrutiny
The controversy is inseparable from the high-profile Aryan Khan drugs-on-cruise case of 2021, in which Shah Rukh Khan’s son was arrested by the NCB under Wankhede’s supervision. Though Aryan Khan was later cleared of all charges, Wankhede has remained under the spotlight, lauded by some as a tough anti-narcotics officer and criticised by others for alleged overreach.
The Netflix series, directed by Aryan Khan, adds a new flashpoint, painting a picture that Wankhede insists is “false, malicious and defamatory.”
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