Sameer Wankhede Reacts After Delhi HC Declines to Hear Defamation Suit Against The Ba***ds of Bollywood

Court Cites Lack of Territorial Jurisdiction, Allows Wankhede to Approach Appropriate Forum

The Delhi High Court has declined to hear a defamation suit filed by Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede against the Netflix web series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, citing lack of territorial jurisdiction. The series is produced by Shah Rukh Khan–owned Red Chillies Entertainment and written and directed by Aryan Khan.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav ruled that the court did not have the authority to entertain the plaint and ordered that it be returned to the plaintiff for presentation before a court of competent jurisdiction.

“This court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the plaint,” the court observed, while granting liberty to Wankhede to refile the case elsewhere.

Sameer Wankhede: ‘Case Has Not Been Dismissed’

Reacting to the order, Sameer Wankhede clarified that the case has not been dismissed on merits. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he said the court had only directed him to approach the correct legal forum.

“It has not been dismissed. I have been asked to approach a proper forum. This has not demotivated me at all. I will do the needful and keep fighting for justice,” Wankhede said.

He added that he would decide his next course of action once the detailed order is uploaded.

Allegations Linked to Aryan Khan’s 2021 Arrest

In his lawsuit, Wankhede alleged that the series was deliberately crafted to malign his reputation and settle personal scores arising from Aryan Khan’s arrest in a 2021 narcotics case. He claimed the content was defamatory and orchestrated to target him.

The IRS officer had sued Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix, seeking ₹2 crore in damages, which he stated would be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Obscene Gesture and National Honour Act Claim

Wankhede’s petition also flagged a scene in the series where a character allegedly makes an obscene gesture after uttering “Satyamev Jayate,” a phrase associated with the National Emblem.

According to the complaint, this amounted to a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which carries penal consequences.

Why Delhi HC Refused Jurisdiction

The High Court held that in cases of online defamation, mere nationwide accessibility of content does not create pan-India jurisdiction. Relying on established legal principles, the court warned against forum shopping and “libel tourism.”

It noted that both the plaintiff and the principal defendants are linked to Mumbai and that the alleged harm had also occurred there. As a result, jurisdiction would lie with courts in Mumbai rather than Delhi.

Since jurisdiction itself failed, the court clarified that it did not examine the merits of the defamation allegations.

About The Ba***ds of Bollywood

The Ba***ds of Bollywood premiered on Netflix on September 18, 2025, and consists of seven episodes. Produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, the series stars Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, and Mona Singh, among others.

The show also features cameo appearances by several prominent film personalities, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, and filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli.