Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan’s web series The Ba***ds of Bollywood premiered recently on Netflix, and one of the episodes sparked controversy after netizens pointed out that a character bore a striking resemblance to former Narcotics Control Bureau officer Sameer Wankhede, who had arrested Aryan in an alleged drug case back in 2021.
Following this, the latest development is that IRS officer Wankhede has filed a defamation case against both Aryan and Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, global streaming platform Netflix.
Wankhede Files ₹2 Cr Defamation Case Against Aryan Khan & SRK
Sameer called Aryan show 'false, malicious, and defamatory.' He further claimed that the series "disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions."
The officer has claimed damages of Rs 2 crore, which he has proposed to donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients.
In his statement, Wankhede 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."
"Especially when the case involving Sameer Wankhede and Aryan Khan is pending and sub-judice before the Hon'ble Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court, Mumbai," Wankhede's statement read.
The statement further read, "The series, inter alia, depicts a character making an obscene gesture, specifically, showing a middle finger after the character recites the slogan 'Satyamev Jayate' which is the part of the National Emblem. This act constitutes a grave and sensitive violation of the provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which attracts penal consequences under law.".
What The Series Showed
In one scene, a loud officer steps out of a police jeep at a party, ranting about a 'war against drugs' and claiming the entire film industry is riddled with substance abuse. Introducing himself as part of the ‘war against drugs’ and ‘NCG,’ he is dressed in a white shirt, dark pants, and has short hair resembling Wankhede.
The officer first spots a man smoking a joint but, upon learning he isn’t from Bollywood, gets irritated and lets him go. Later, he notices another man who is merely drinking and not involved in drugs, yet arrests him solely because he belongs to Bollywood.
Why Was Sameer Wankhede Removed From Aryan Khan Case
Wankhede led the investigation and came into the spotlight after arresting Aryan, who was arrested from the Cordelia Cruise ship off Mumbai's coast in October 2021 by Wankhede and his team after they received a tip-off about drugs being consumed onboard. He was lodged in jail for a month before being released on bail.
In 2023, the CBI registered a corruption case against Wankhede and four others for allegedly conspiring to extort ₹25 crore from the family of one of those onboard the cruise ship in exchange for not booking him.
