SC rejects plea against order restraining Netflix from using Subrata Roy's name in documentary

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain an appeal filed by Netflix challenging a Bihar court's order restraining it from using Sahara group chairman Subrata Roy's name in its upcoming web series 'Bad Boy Billionaires'.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde (CJI) and also comprising of Justice Arun Mishra, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramaian said that it is not the procedure to challenge lower court order directly in the Supreme Court.

The bench asked Netflix to approach the appellate court and agreed to hear the transfer petition filed by Netflix and issued a notice on the plea. The new series of Netflix - 'Bad Boy Billionaires' is slated for release on September 2.

A local court in Bihar's Araria had, on August 28, ordered a temporary stay on the airing of Netflix's upcoming web series 'Bad Boy Billionaires' in which Subrata Roy's name was used.

The order came on a plea filed by Subrata Roy, who had moved the court seeking stay on the series alleging that the aim of the series was to malign his public image by featuring him alongside fugitive billionaires like Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Harshad Mehta.

If allowed to air the series with his name in it, it would have an adverse effect on the enterprise of the Sahara group, the plea before the local court said.

Before the local court, Roy had alleged that a London-based director had met him in Lucknow in 2019 claiming that a web feature will be made on his life and the web feature would be titled "Billionaires".

Diamantaire Mehul Choksi, who is accused in PNB scam, has also approached a division bench of the Delhi High Court seeking pre-screening of the series. The division bench yesterday adjourned the matter for further hearing on September 7.

Earlier, Choksi's plea was dismissed by the single bench, which had refused to grant him a preview, saying that there are no regulations to control the content on the over-the-top (OTT) media service.

The Netflix series is said to be based on the rise and fall of India's most infamous billionaires including Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Subrata Roy and other business tycoons accused in several alleged scams.

( With inputs from ANI )