Delhi HC Refuses To Halt Release Of Web Series UP77 Allegedly Based On Gangster Vikas Dubey’s Life

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, December 24, refused to halt the release of the upcoming web series UP77, which is allegedly based on the life of slain gangster Vikas Dubey.

The series is scheduled to premiere on the Waves OTT platform on Thursday, December 25, 2025.

A Bench presided over by Justice Sachin Datta was hearing a plea filed by Dubey’s wife, Richa Dubey, seeking a restraint on the release of the series. She contended that the content was fictionalised, exaggerated and sensationalised, and created solely for commercial exploitation.

Refusing to grant interim relief, Justice Datta observed, “This Court is not inclined to interfere with the release of the web series at this stage.”

Court recorded the statement of the producers that the series is a work of pure fiction and is not based on the life of Vikas Dubey. The producers were further directed to issue a public statement clarifying that the series has no connection with any real person or events.

In her petition, Dubey’s wife stated that she apprehended the release of the series would permanently damage her dignity, expose her and her sons to public ridicule, reopen past trauma, and potentially endanger her social standing and personal safety

Vikas Dubey, a dreaded gangster, was killed in a police encounter on July 10, 2020. Police had claimed that the vehicle transporting him from Ujjain to Kanpur met with an accident in the Bhauti area, following which he attempted to escape and was shot. Dubey and his associates were accused of killing eight police personnel in Kanpur. He had been taken into police custody on July 9, 2020.

Case Title: Richa Dubey v. Union of India & Ors

Bench: Justice Sachin Datta

Hearing Date: 24 December 2025