Bad Boy Billionaires: Netflix releases episode on Satyam scam after Hyderabad court vacates stay

A court in Hyderabad on Tuesday vacated an ad-interim injunction that had restrained Netflix from streaming an episode about Byrraju Ramalinga Raju, the founder of Satyam Computer Services [Byrraju Ramalinga Raju Vs Netflix]

Following the order, Netflix released the episode as part of its investigative docuseries Bad Boy Billionaires: India. The documentary series, which also focuses on other businessmen such as Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Subrata Roy, was released in 2020.

The episode focuses on the rise and collapse of Satyam Computer Services and the allegations of accounting fraud against its founder and former chairman, Byrraju Ramalinga Raju, in 2009.

The episode traces Satyam's growth as one of India’s largest IT services companies, the disclosure of falsified accounts running into thousands of crores, and the subsequent criminal, regulatory and enforcement proceedings initiated by Indian authorities, including investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.

Netflix had been restrained from releasing the episode by the XXV Additional Chief Judge, City Civil Court, Hyderabad, on September 1, 2020.

The streaming service company subsequently challenged the order before Telangana High Court, which in 2022 directed the trial court to take a final decision on Raju's interim application

In the order, High Court had noted that the ex parte injunction had been repeatedly extended without final disposal of the interim application under Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 Code of Civil Procedure (CPC). It deprecated the continued operation of the ex parte restraint without adjudication on merits.

In compliance with the High Court direction, the Chief Judge of City Civil Court in Hyderabad heard the matter and lifted the stay on the Ramalinga Raju episode. However, Raju's suit against the episode is still pending before the civil court for final decision.

Netflix was represented by a team from SaiKrishna & Associates

Minnow Films, the producer, was represented by a team from Bharucha & Partners led by its partner Kaushik Moitra.