The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed actor Shah Rukh Khan to file an affidavit to explain his relation with the Indian Institute of Planning and Management, PTI reported. A Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry has been sought against the institute for allegedly misleading and duping students. Currently, the West Bengal Police are investigating the matter.

Khan has appeared in some of IIPM’s advertisements. The petitioners, who are students of the institute, claimed that they were impressed by the actor’s advertisements where he promoted the institute.

However, the claim by students’ lawyer Dipanjan Datta that Khan was the brand ambassador for the institute was denied by the actor’s counsel. He said Khan appeared only in some of the advertisements for IIPM.

Justice Debangshu Basak asked Khan and IIPM’s promoter Arindam Chaudhuri to file individual affidavits in the matter.

The court also asked the West Bengal government to file an affidavit, and explain why a probe into the allegations against IIPM should not be handed over to the CBI from the state police.

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

Students had filed a criminal case against IIPM in 2018 at New Town police station in Kolkata after the University Grants Commission said the organisation was not affiliated to it and the Delhi High Court called it a fake institute.

Dutta said they moved the High Court since the police did not start any proceeding against IIPM and failed to file a closure report on the investigation. The petitioners sought a CBI investigation as the institution had branches in various states of the country and abroad.

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