Sameer Wankhede Sues Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies for Rs 2 Cr Over Aryan Khan’s Series 'Ba***ds Of Bollywood'

Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against Red Chillies Entertainment Ltd., the production house owned by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, over the Netflix series Ba**ds of Bollywood, which marks Aryan Khan's directorial debut. Wankhede claims the series contains defamatory content aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

Sameer Wankhede VS Aryan Khan Again? Gauri Khan, Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies, Netflix & Others Mentioned in Defamation Suit

As per news reports, Officer Wankhede is seeking Rs 2 crore in damages, claiming the series contains "false, malicious, and defamatory" content that allegedly tarnishes his reputation. The lawsuit names Gauri Khan, Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment Limited, Netflix, X, and Google as parties involved.

Wankhede intends to donate any compensation received to Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patient treatment. He is a former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai zonal director known for leading high-profile anti-narcotics investigations, including one involving Aryan Khan. The IRS officer's lawsuit seeks permanent and mandatory injunctions, declarations, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix.

Who is Sameer Wankhede?

Sameer Wankhede is an IRS officer, who previously served as the Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), claims that the series misrepresents events and unfairly maligns anti-drug enforcement agencies. He particularly takes issue with a character who appears to mock him and a scene where a character makes an obscene gesture, showing the middle finger-immediately after reciting the national motto "Satyamev Jayate".

Wankhede's plea also underscores that legal proceedings between him and Aryan Khan are still active before both the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.

What Was The Aryan Khan Case?

These proceedings are linked to the October 2021 Cordelia cruise drugs case, in which Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan was arrested following a raid conducted by the NCB under Wankhede's supervision.

At the time, Aryan Khan, along with Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha was detained on suspicion of consuming and possessing banned substances while onboard the Goa-bound luxury cruise ship Cordelia Empress.

The case attracted widespread media attention and sparked a national conversation around celebrity drug use and NCB operations.

During bail proceedings, the NCB asserted that WhatsApp chat transcripts suggested Aryan's involvement in both drug consumption and conspiracy. Defence counsels countered that no drugs were recovered from his person, and called the allegations speculative in nature.

On October 28, the Bombay High Court granted Aryan bail, observing there was insufficient evidence of a conspiracy. Around that time, questions were raised about the conduct of investigations under NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. In response, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Delhi took over the investigation in November 2021.

By May 2022, the SIT filed a 6,000‑page chargesheet that notably did not name Aryan Khan, effectively giving him a clean chit, citing lack of prosecutable evidence.

However, the matter took fresh turns in May 2023, when the CBI registered an FIR against Wankhede and others. The FIR alleged that a bribe of Rs 25 crore was demanded from Shah Rukh Khan's family to facilitate Aryan's release, with Rs 50 lakh allegedly collected. The charges included criminal conspiracy, extortion and violations under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Wankhede filed a petition in the Bombay High Court to quash this FIR, referencing private messages from Shah Rukh Khan in which the actor purportedly praised Wankhede's integrity.

Meanwhile, an internal NCB Special Enquiry Team reportedly flagged discrepancies in Wankhede's conduct-ranging from misreporting foreign travel to alleged possession of luxury items like expensive watches.

Aryan Khan Drug Case Timeline

(As per PTI reports)

Oct 2, 2021 - NCB conducts a raid on the Cordelia cruise ship; Aryan Khan is detained.

Oct 3, 2021 - Aryan Khan is formally arrested along with others.

Oct 28, 2021 - Bombay High Court grants Aryan Khan bail, citing lack of evidence for conspiracy.

Nov 2021 - NCB's Delhi Special Investigation Team (SIT) takes over the probe.

May 27, 2022 - SIT files a chargesheet; Aryan Khan is given a clean chit - not named in the report.

May 12, 2023 - CBI registers an FIR against Sameer Wankhede, alleging he demanded a Rs 25 crore bribe from Shah Rukh Khan's family.

May 19, 2023 - Wankhede cites private messages from Shah Rukh Khan praising his integrity in court.

May 2023 - Internal NCB enquiry points to irregularities in Wankhede's conduct, including misreporting and luxury asset issues.

June 2023 - Wankhede alleges that the SIT suppressed crucial evidence in Aryan's favour.

Feb 2024 - The Enforcement Directorate (ED) files a money laundering case under PMLA against Wankhede.

July 2025 - CBI informs the Bombay High Court that its probe against Wankhede will conclude within three months.

Sameer Wankhede Claims of Character Assassination in Aryan Khan's 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'

Wankhede argues that Ba**ds of Bollywood, released on Netflix on September 18, 2025, paints law enforcement officers-especially those involved in anti-narcotics operations-in a negative light. He alleges that his character or a clear representation of him is being ridiculed in the series, which he believes could impact his ongoing legal cases as well as his public image.

In a statement regarding the legal action, "Sameer Wankhede, IRS Officer, has filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court seeking reliefs in the nature of permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration, and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan...." as reported in The Indian Express.

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