A new Bollywood defamation row has begun after IRS officer Sameer Wankhede filed a defamation case in the Delhi High Court against Shah Rukh Khan’s production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, and Netflix. The case is linked to the web series The Ba*ds of Bollywood, which is directed by Aryan Khan.

Sameer Wankhede, who was the officer in charge of the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) 2021 raid on a cruise ship, claimed that the series falsely damages his image. That raid had led to the arrest of Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan, sparking a huge Aryan Khan legal battle at the time. However, in 2022, the NCB cleared Aryan Khan of all charges, stating no drugs were found on him.

In his petition, Wankhede said the series paints him in a negative light and weakens public trust in anti-drug agencies. He has demanded ₹2 crore in damages, which he has pledged to donate to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Wankhede also pointed out that the series shows a scene where a character makes an obscene gesture — showing the middle finger after saying “Satyamev Jayate,” which is part of India’s National Emblem. He argued that this violates the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

Additionally, the officer alleged that the show breaks provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita because it uses “offensive and obscene material” and tries to provoke public anger.

This latest Sameer Wankhede controversy once again brings Aryan Khan and the 2021 drug case into the spotlight. What started as a raid on a cruise ship has now turned into an Aryan Khan Bollywood dispute over reputation, law enforcement, and freedom of expression.