A lawyer from Bharatpur, Rajasthan, has filed a police complaint against Hyundai Motor India, several of its senior officials, and Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone over alleged defects in his Hyundai Alcazar SUV. The case was registered at the Mathura Gate police station after a directive from the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court No. 2 in Bharatpur, bringing the two film stars, who serve as brand ambassadors for Hyundai, into the legal dispute.
The complainant, advocate Kirti Singh, purchased the Alcazar in 2022, but soon noticed serious performance issues. According to him, when the accelerator was pressed, the vehicle’s RPM would rise but the car’s speed would not increase. He claims that when he reported the issue to the dealership, they acknowledged it as a manufacturing defect and suggested an unusual remedy, parking the car for an hour and then running it at 2,000 RPM to clear the error. Singh alleges that this response not only failed to resolve the defect but also put his family’s safety at risk.
Singh said neither Hyundai nor the dealership offered a proper repair or a replacement for the car despite repeated complaints. Frustrated with the lack of response, he filed a case against Hyundai officials, the dealership, and brand ambassadors Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. The court then directed the police to register an FIR in the matter.
The case invokes charges of cheating, breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Those named in the FIR include Hyundai Motor India Managing Director Ansoo Kim, COO Tarun Garg, and directors of the company’s Sonipat-based dealership, Malwa Auto Sales Pvt. Ltd.
The complaint also mentions Shah Rukh Khan, who has been associated with Hyundai as a brand ambassador since 1998, and Deepika Padukone, who joined as the company’s endorser in December 2023. The two stars have been accused of promoting a faulty product. Notably, under the Consumer Protection Act, endorsers can be held responsible if advertisements are found to be misleading.
