Mumbai (Maharashtra): Former Mumbai Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Sameer Wankhede has spoken out after filing a defamation case against Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife, Gauri Khan, over the web series ‘Ba**ds of Bollywood’*.

Addressing the issue, Wankhede said personal reasons, not professional ones, drove his legal action.

“My personal belief is that this has nothing to do with my job or my profession. In my personal capacity, I've approached the Delhi High Court. I wouldn't like to comment on the court proceedings or the issues involved, as the matter is sub judice... This is a matter of self-respect, personal dignity, and personal honour,” he said.

Criticising the portrayal of anti-drug officials in the series, Wankhede added, “Whatever satire or parody you create, do it with your own people or profession. Today, the issue of drug abuse has become a major issue for our nation, and by highlighting such things, you're insulting not just one person, but those who have worked with me, and others who fight against drug abuse...”

He further emphasised that his family has been unfairly targeted because of the controversy.

“My family has nothing to do with my profession. They have nothing to do with my cases, my profession, but why are they feeling the brunt of these kinds of things? Hate messages are coming from Pakistan, the UAE, and Bangladesh. I will not accept that because of me, they are facing the brunt of it... We have regularly informed the police about the threats that my sister and my wife keep getting...” Wankhede said.

Reiterating his trust in the judicial system, he noted, “I have faith in our judiciary, our constitution and the system of our country. I am a loyal soldier of the government of India. There are numerous checks and balances in our system, and there is a proper rule book, the Constitution, according to which we work. One person does not make the decisions here. Everything has been done in accordance with the rules and regulations. It is not about any publicity; it is about dignity. The kind of hate messages I have been getting, no self-respecting man will remain silent on it. I will fight this legal battle to whatever extent possible. I have presented all the messages in front of the Delhi High Court...”

On October 8, the Delhi High Court issued a summons to Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, Netflix, and others in the defamation suit filed by Wankhede. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav directed the defendants to submit their replies within seven days, with Wankhede allowed to file a rejoinder three days later. The matter has been listed for hearing on October 30.

While the court declined to grant immediate relief to Wankhede, it asked him to return after 10 days. In his petition, Wankhede sought a permanent and mandatory injunction, a declaration, and damages against the producers and the streaming platform.

He claimed the series presents “a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.”

Wankhede’s plea also alleged that the show was “deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Sameer Wankhede's reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner,” particularly at a time when proceedings involving him and Aryan Khan remain pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.

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