In plea for CBI probe against IIPM, HC asks Shah Rukh Khan to file affidavit

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan to file an affidavit explaining his relation with the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), against which a CBI probe has been sought for allegedly misleading and duping students.

Justice Debangshu Basak directed Khan -- who has appeared in some IIPM advertisements, his firm Red Chillies Entertainment and the institute's promoter Arindam Chaudhuri to file individual affidavits.

The affidavits will have to be filed before the court within two weeks after the Durga Puja vacation.

Petitioner students claimed before the high court that they had been impressed by Khan's advertisements promoting the IIPM in taking admission to its courses.

Their lawyer Dipanjan Datta claimed before Justice Basak that Khan was a brand ambassador for the institute.

The claim was denied by Khan's lawyer, who told the court that he had merely appeared in some advertisements for the institute.

Justice Basak then directed Khan to submit an affidavit stating his relation with the organisation.

The West Bengal government was also directed to file an affidavit before the court explaining why a probe into the allegations against the IIPM should not be handed over to the CBI from the state police.

The petitioners' lawyer said some students had filed a criminal case against the IIPM in 2018 at New Town police station here after the University Grants Commission (UGC) said the organisation is not affiliated to it and the Delhi High Court declared it to be a fake institute.

But since the police failed to initiate any proceeding against the IIPM and filed a closure report on the investigation, they moved the high court, Datta said.

Claiming that the IIPM had branches in various states of the country and abroad, the petitioners prayed for a CBI investigation before the court.