Former Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau, Sameer Wankhede, told NDTV on Wednesday (8th October) that law enforcement officers are bleeding to serve the nation and cannot be humiliated in the name of satire. Wankhede’s remarks came in reference to the Netflix series, ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, directed by Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, which, as per Wankhede, “disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions”.
Wankhede, who is currently posted at the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management in Mumbai, has filed a defamation suit against Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, the production house owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife, Gauri Khan. The Indian Revenue Service officer said that he was compelled to approach the court for the honour of his family. He said that his family has been receiving threats from India and abroad. “Secondly, I am fighting for the honour of the uniform and the law enforcement agencies that are toiling and giving their blood to serve the nation. They cannot be humiliated like that; they cannot be trolled like that. And thirdly, I am fighting for the honour of our national emblem, Satyamev Jayate, which cannot be mocked and made fun of,” Wankhede said.
Explaining why he does not consider the series a satire, Wankhede said, “People who are serving the nation, all the officers who are in the field, those who are part of anti-drug drives, these things hurt. Satire is a different thing altogether, but humiliating officers who have given blood to the nation, who are fighting against anti-drug activities, when such things happen, officers also feel bad about it”. The officer avowed to fight a legal battle in the name of justice, truth and his family’s honour, regardless of how long it takes. “I am ready to fight because it is a matter of justice, truth and my family honour. I respect and have full faith in the honourable judiciary,” he added.
‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ is the directorial debut of Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan. The series features a character resembling Wankhede, which triggered a series of reactions on social media.
Wankhede made headlines in 2021 after he arrested Aryan Khan during a raid on a cruise ship in connection with a narcotics case. Aryan Khan spent 25 days in jail before being released on bail. Subsequently, charges against Aryan Khan were dropped. Last year, Wankhede was booked by the CBI for allegedly demanding ₹25 crore as a bribe for not framing Aryan Khan in the narcotics case. The CBI said that the deal was closed for Rs 18 crore, and that Wankhade’s assets were not proportionate to his known sources of income.
