Netflix has been restrained from releasing the web series Bad Boy Billionaires: India by a Hyderabad civil court. The injunction was passed based on a petition filed by founder of Satyam Computer Services, B. Ramalinga Raju, who was convicted in the Satyam scam along with three others.
The documentary series focuses on the life of billionaires—Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy, Nirav Modi and Ramalinga Raju—and releases on September 2.
The series is expected to detail the various allegations of financial fraud against the four men. Raju filed the petition on grounds that the series would unlawfully invade his privacy.
Mehul Choksi, another Indian businessman accused of various financial frauds and on the run, had sought a preview of the documentary but was denied. He had approached the Delhi High Court. A court in Bihar has restricted the series from using Subrata Roy’s name.
Bad Boy Billionaires delves into lives of the infamous billionaires as they plot, plan and manoeuvre through their highs and lows. The series has also roped in experts and insiders to comment on what made these men genius and, in some cases, the greatest conmen.
Raju confessed after being convicted in the Satyam scam amounting to Rs 7,000 crore that the company’s account books and profits were inflated over many years to the tune of several crores of rupees.
Fixed deposit receipts of many banks were forged for the same purpose over six years from 2003 to 2009. Addition to this, a paper trail of fake invoices, fake clients and fake projects were prepared. They even recruited more and more people to show that the “growing” company required more staff.
Three charge-sheets were made against Raju and the others accused by the CBI. They were charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy, forgery, falsification of accounts, and breach of trust.
In April 2015, a CBI special sentenced him, his two brothers and seven others to seven years in prison in the case. A month later the metropolitan sessions court suspended their sentence and granted them bail.
