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| photo credit: facebook/Shahrukh khan |
On August 25, 2025 a major consumer protection case was filed in Bharatpur, Rajasthan by a resident lawyer, Kirti Singh, who began legal
proceedings after repeated technical faults in his 2022 Hyundai Alcazar SUV
caught his attention, bought at a price of approximately 24 lakh. Its
performance had potentially serious faults; it would vibrate violently when
accelerated or when its driver tried to overtake someone, or would abruptly
refuse to increase in speed, with warning terminals that would flash an
engine-management message claiming that there was a serious fault within it--a
combination that he says.
Legal escalation :
It was after the police initially refused to entertain his
complaint that Singh had petitioned the Chief Judicial Magistrate court. A FIR
was duly registered by the Mathura Gate police station under the sections of
the Indian Penal Code-including 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust),
and 120B (criminal conspiracy) along with those of the new code of law
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on August 25, 2025.
Of particular interest to this case is the involvement of
brand ambassadors of Hyundai, Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone as
co-accused. According to the FIR, in the process of carrying out their promotional
campaigns, they have also contributed to misinforming consumers into thinking
that the product is reliable, thus imposing the celebrity endorser liability
under the Consumer Protection Act of 2019, in addition to a 2024 Supreme Court
decision that emphasized the liability of celebrities as anti-competitive
advertisement endorsers.
Their addition to the FIR together with six officials of
Hyundai, including company officers and dealership management represent a
turning point in Indian consumer rights law because it places in question the
morals of celebrity promotion, when a promoter purportedly promotes a product
in the name of safety.
Brand Histroy :
Shah Rukh Khan has been linked to Hyundai India since back in 1998 and has become one of Hyundai India most visible faces.
Deepika
Padukone joined as a brand ambassador in December 2023 and the two have
appeared in recent Hyundai advertisements.
Current Situation :
Till this point neither Shah Rukh Khan nor Deepika Padukone
have released any public statements or reactions to the FIR. An investigation
is currently being carried out on the case by the Bharatpur police The court
judgment may create new standards of responsibility to influencers and
celebrities when they endorse brands in India.
