HC asks FITJEE, Aakash not to use topper's name for promotion

Two leading coaching institutes, accused of portraying a topper and his family in poor light, have been restrained by the Delhi High Court from using his name, videos and photographs in promotional advertisements and publications.

Two leading coaching institutes, accused of portraying a topper and his family in poor light, have been restrained by the Delhi High Court from using his name, videos and photographs in promotional advertisements and publications.

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The restraining order came on the plea of Nitin Jain, the 2009 topper of IIT-JEE and AIEEE, that the institutes — FITJEE and Aakash IIT-JEE — have been unauthorizedly using his photographs and videos, defamatory in nature, for commercial gains.

Justice Gita Mittal, which took note of the plea co-filed by Jain's parents, issued summons to managing directors of the institutes.

"Issue summons to the defendants. They shall stand restrained from using the name, photographs or any other material relating to his (topper's) achievements in the advertisements in newspapers brochure, stationary, magazines or anywhere on the internet," Justice Mittal said.

In his petition filed by advocate RK Saini, Nitin has also claimed Rs 2 crore as damages from each institute for defaming him and his family.

The videos were shot keeping them under false impressions, the plea said.

"The parents felt ashamed after seeing themselves in video in their home cloths which is now being shown to the world at large and displayed conveying a distorted message that the parents of an all India topper in IIT-JEE do not have good clothes and as such lowered the image of the family in the eyes of public.

"The family has been harassed mentally and physically in the hands of the coaching institutes who are misusing the name, fame and position of Jain without any authority and permission," it said.