Delhi HC questions Sameer Wankhede over maintainability of plea against 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday questioned IRS officer and former NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede over maintainability of his defamation suit against actor Shahrukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan owned Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix for allegedly maligning his reputation in their series 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked Wankhede's lawyer as to how the plea was maintainable in Delhi.
Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Wankhede, said the web series is meant for across cities, including Delhi, and the officer has been defamed here.
However, he said he would amend the plaint accordingly.
The court granted him time to file an amended application after which it would hear the matter.
Wankhede's plea has sought permanent and mandatory injunction, declaration and damages against Red Chillies Entertainment Private Limited, Netflix and others, for what he alleges is "false, malicious and defamatory video" of the production house and broadcast by Netflix as part of their television series.
Wankhede sought Rs 2 crore in damages which he wants to to be donated to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital for cancer patients.
"This series disseminates a misleading and negative portrayal of anti-drug enforcement agencies, thereby eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions," the plea said.
The plea said the series has been deliberately conceptualised and executed with the intent to malign Wankhede's reputation in a colourable and prejudicial manner, especially when the case involving the officer and Shahrukh Khan's son Aryan khan is pending and sub-judice before the Bombay High Court and the NDPS Special Court in Mumbai.
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JD(S) wants changes in certain provisions in One Nation-One Election proposal
Bengaluru (PTI): The JD(S) has requested its ally BJP to make changes in certain provisions of the proposed 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill linked to the ONOE proposal, particularly the special powers proposed to be given to the ECI to recommend postponement of elections in any state.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee held discussions with political parties in Bengaluru on Saturday regarding the Constitution Amendment Bill connected to 'One Nation-One Election' and sought their suggestions and opinions.
The JD(S) said suitable amendments had been proposed to the provisions empowering the Election Commission of India to recommend to the President the deferment of state elections, while also seeking legal safeguards for the stability of coalition governments and protection for regional parties during simultaneous elections.
"With regard to the Bill, the JD(S) extended support to the Constitutional amendment with certain conditions and amendments, while suggesting safeguards to ensure that regional parties are not adversely affected by the aggressive election campaigns of national parties during simultaneous elections," the statement said.
The party stated that coalition governments have been formed and functioning at both the state and national levels for several decades in recent years, and "there is a need for legal protection to ensure their stability".
"Therefore, it also suggested incorporating legal safeguards for the stability of coalition governments in the proposed Constitutional amendment," the party, headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, said.
The proposed Constitutional amendment grants special powers to the ECI to recommend to the President the postponement of elections in any state. Suitable amendments to these special powers have been proposed, the party said.
"On the above stated subjects, suitable submissions were made to the JPC," the party said in a statement, which has been posted on its 'X' handle.
According to the statement, the JD(S) delegation was led by M Mallesh Babu and included former MP D Kupendra Reddy, former Assembly Deputy Speaker M Krishna Reddy, former minister Venkatrao Nadagouda, MLA T N Javarayi Gowda, former MLA K A Tippeswamy and party legal cell president A P Ranganath.
