Rajasthan HC stays cheating case filed against Shah Rukh, Deepika Padukone

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, who are Hyundai India's brand ambassadors, were dragged into the criminal complaint after the owner allegedly witnessed technical issues in the car

The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday stayed the investigation against Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in connection with an alleged cheating case, Bar and Bench reported.

 

Khan and Padukone, who are Hyundai India's brand ambassadors, were dragged into a criminal complaint by a consumer dissatisfied with the product of the company.

What is the case against SRK, Deepika Padukone

 

The case originates from a complaint by a resident of Bharatpur, who bought a Hyundai Alcazar car in 2022, and after driving it for three years and nearly 67,000 kilometers, the owner allegedly faced recurring technical manufacturing issues.

 

The car owner allegedly drove the car for nearly 67,000 kilometers, after which he started experiencing problems with the car. Dissatisfied with the company's response to requests for a replacement or refund, he lodged a criminal complaint, following which a magistrate's court ordered the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), alleging offences of cheating and criminal conspiracy.  ALSO READ | Delhi HC bars unauthorised use of Aishwarya Rai's photos, name, likeness

What the court said

 

The case was being heard by Justice Sudesh Bansal, who also added that the probe against Unsoo Kim and Tarun Garg, managing director and chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor India, respectively, will also remain stayed.

 

The four petitioners argued that their implication in the case is arbitrary and malicious, adding that the criminal complaint does not mention any cognisable offence committed by them.

 

The four mentioned in the complaint have no connection with the sale of the vehicle currently in question and have no interference in the affairs of the company for repairing or manufacturing defects in the sold car, according to a court document.

 

The order further stated, "It has been argued that at the most, if the complainant has any grievance in respect of defects, whatsoever may be in his purchased car, he being a consumer of Hyundai Motor India Ltd. and Malwa Auto Sales, could have availed the remedy under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, but instead, filed a criminal complaint and implicating the petitioners, who are highly reputed persons and public figure, being film stars, is nothing but a sheer misuse of the process of law and such a complaint ought not to have been sent by Judicial Magistrate for registration of FIR and investigation, hence, registration of FIR on the order of concerned Judicial Magistrate itself is wrong."

 

The court also issued notices to the police and the complainant and stayed the investigation. It further said that the parties can explore mediation to solve the dispute