03 February,2026 03:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sameer Wankhede and Aryan Khan
The Delhi High Court has allowed former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer Sameer Wankhede to move to a Mumbai court with his defamation lawsuit against a Netflix show referencing the Aryan Khan case. The Delhi court had earlier dismissed his plea after holding that the national capital court lacks territorial jurisdiction.
The matter was brought before Justice Vikas Mahajan, who allowed Wankhede's application seeking permission to present his complaint before a competent court in Mumbai. The court granted permission and asked the parties to appear before the Mumbai court on February 12, which is when Wankhede proposes to institute the suit.
Justice Vikas Mahajan directed, "The application is allowed. Let the parties appear before the City Civil and Sessions Court, Dindoshi, Malad in Mumbai on February 12 when he [Wankhede] proposes to present the plaint."
During the hearing, Wankhede's counsel informed the court regarding the January 29 order of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, which returned the complaint under the Civil Procedure Code and granted him permission to approach the appropriate forum. Acting on that liberty, Wankhede moved an application under Order VII Rule 10A CPC to facilitate the transfer of the case to Mumbai.
Permitting the request, the court noted that procedural requirements had been met and formally cleared the way for the suit to be undertaken before the City Civil Court.
Back in 2021, Wankhede, then Zonal Director of NCB, had arrested Aryan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) following a drug raid in Mumbai. Aryan was later cleared of the charges.
Recently, Wankhede had approached the Delhi High Court claiming that a character shown in Episode 1 of the Netflix series The Ba'''ds of Bollywood, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Aryan Khan, was a veiled and defamatory portrayal of him. The series is linked to events surrounding the Aryan Khan drugs case.
He sought orders for removal or restraint on certain scenes, arguing that the depiction damaged his reputation and dignity. Wankhede alleged that the character's appearance, conduct, and mannerisms bore an unmistakable resemblance to him and had been widely identified as such in media reports.
The defendants, however, raised a preliminary objection on territorial jurisdiction, arguing that the suit ought to have been filed in Mumbai since Wankhede resides there and Red Chillies Entertainment's registered office is also located in the city. They further maintained that the series is a fictional and satirical work and does not recreate the Cordelia cruise raid.
Accepting these submissions, Justice Kaurav had earlier ruled that the Delhi High Court could not entertain the suit and ordered the plaint to be returned. With Monday's order, that decision has now been procedurally operationalised, enabling Wankhede to continue his legal challenge in Mumbai.
(With inputs from ANI)
