Delhi HC Allows Sameer Wankhede to Amend Jurisdiction; Defamation Suit Against Netflix & Red Chillies to Proceed

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday (September 26) granted relief to IRS officer Sameer Wankhede, permitting him to amend his jurisdictional pleadings in his high-profile defamation suit against Red Chillies Entertainment, Netflix, and others over the controversial series “Ba*ds of Bollywood”.

The matter came up before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who at the outset questioned how the suit was maintainable in Delhi. The court noted that the plaint, as originally filed, did not contain sufficient averments to establish jurisdiction under Section 9 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC).

Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Wankhede, argued that the web series was accessible across India, including Delhi, and that memes targeting the plaintiff were also circulated in the capital. The court, however, observed orally that the plaint in its current form was “not maintainable” and indicated that the pleadings would need to be corrected.

At this stage, Sethi sought liberty to amend the plaint, which the court allowed. Justice Kaurav directed that once the amendments are made, the matter will be listed for further hearing by the Registry, without fixing a specific date.

On the other side, Senior Advocate Harish Salve appeared for Red Chillies Entertainment, while Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi represented Netflix, reflecting the heavyweight legal representation on both sides.

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The suit names multiple defendants, including Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., Netflix, Google LLC, Meta Platforms, X Corp (formerly Twitter), RPG Lifestyle Media Pvt. Ltd., and certain unnamed parties. Wankhede has sought ₹2 crore in damages, which he has stated will be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for the treatment of cancer patients.

According to the plaint, the Netflix series was “deliberately conceptualised and executed” to malign Wankhede’s reputation in a “colourable and prejudicial manner,” especially while proceedings involving him and Aryan Khan remain pending before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court, Mumbai.

The suit also highlights a scene where a character is shown making an obscene gesture—raising a middle finger after reciting the slogan “Satyamev Jayate.” Wankhede contends that this amounts to a violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and also runs afoul of provisions under the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as it seeks to outrage national sentiment through obscene and offensive material.

With the High Court’s order, Wankhede’s defamation suit remains very much alive, pending further hearing after the required amendments are made.

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