Kerala HC clears Mohanlal in gold loan ad case
The Kerala High Court has let actor Mohanlal off the hook in a consumer complaint linked to Manappuram Finance.
Two borrowers said they switched their gold loans to Manappuram after seeing ads with Mohanlal promising lower interest, but ended up being charged more and took legal action against both the company and the actor.
Why was Mohanlal named?
The borrowers felt misled by ads featuring Mohanlal as brand ambassador, even though he wasn't directly involved in their loan deals.
They wanted compensation for extra charges and named him just because he endorsed the company.
What did the court say?
Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. made it clear: just being an endorser doesn't make you responsible for unfair practices unless there's a direct link to what happened.
In his words, "Merely because a person falls within the definition 'endorser' he cannot be mulcted with the liability for unfair trade practice or deficiency of service, unless the direct link between the relevant transaction and the endorser is established."
The case against Manappuram Finance is still ongoing.