The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to entertain IRS officer Sameer Wankhede’s defamation suit against Netflix show The Ba***ds of Bollywood, saying it does not have territorial jurisdiction over the matter.

The show, directed by Aryan Khan, is produced by Shah Rukh Khan-owned Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said Wankhede was free to approach a court that has jurisdiction over the matter.

“This court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the plaint. The same is, therefore, returned to the plaintiff to be presented, if so advised, before a court of competent jurisdiction,” the court said.

Wankhede had filed the suit alleging that “defamatory content” was created in the web series to settle personal scores with him and to avenge the arrest of actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in a 2021 drug case. He claimed the series was orchestrated to target and malign him.

According to Wankhede, the series, written and directed by Aryan Khan, portrayed events and characters in a manner intended to harm his reputation. He sued Red Chillies Entertainment and streaming platform Netflix, seeking Rs 2 crore in damages. He said the amount, if awarded, would be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.

In his lawsuit, Wankhede also alleged that the series depicts a character making an obscene gesture — specifically, showing a middle finger — after reciting the slogan “Satyamev Jayate,” which forms part of the National Emblem.

He contended that the act amounts to a serious violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, and attracts penal consequences under law.

Besides directing it, Aryan has developed the screenplay for The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which stars Lakshya and Sahher Bambba in key roles.

Bobby Deol, Manav Chauhan, Mona Singh, Raghav Juyal and Anyaa Singh round off the cast of the series, produced by Bonnie Jain and Gauri Khan under Shah Rukh’s home banner, Red Chillies Entertainment.