Former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede has broken his silence amid the defamation case against Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment, highlighting the personal fallout from the controversy. In a recent interview, Wankhede said the case is not about publicity, it’s about protecting the dignity of his family, particularly the women who faced online harassment, and officers who put their lives on the line in anti-drug operations. He also addressed misleading reports, alleged chat leaks with Shah Rukh Khan, and the humiliating messages his wife and sister received.
‘Why would I leak Shah Rukh Khan’s chats?’
Responding to claims that he leaked chats from 2021 between him and Shah Rukh Khan, Wankhede dismissed them entirely. “There was a writ petition I filed in the Hon’ble Bombay High Court. I had to present evidence in court. So why will I ‘leak’ it? Those things will come out during arguments. Along with that, I submitted a 65B certificate to authenticate the evidence. What is wrong in that?” he asked.
Humiliation for his wife and sister
Wankhede also highlighted the personal toll of misleading reports. “Some meme pages in the entertainment industry put out half-baked news with flashy headlines. After that, my wife and sister started receiving humiliating messages, calling my case rejected and mocking us in ways I cannot even repeat. They humiliated the women of my house,” he told Hindustan Times. He criticized media misrepresentation of his petition, which some outlets wrongly reported as “dismissed.” “I was asked to file an amendment — that’s all. But a PR campaign ran claiming my case was rejected. This misrepresentation directly affected my family,” he said.
Not just personal dignity
Asked whether the case is about personal pride, Wankhede interrupted, “Not just my own, but the dignity of the department and officers as well. The next time, nobody should make satire on cops or law enforcement.” The controversy dates back to 2021, when Sameer Wankhede arrested Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan during a drug raid on a Mumbai cruise. Aryan received a clean chit in 2022 and later directed Netflix’s The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which allegedly featured a character resembling Wankhede, reportedly mocking him and the national emblem. Wankhede has now approached the court over the portrayal, with the hearing scheduled for October 30.
