By IANS,
New Delhi: Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit, a former student of St. Stephen’s College, was Wednesday restrained by the Delhi High Court from using the crest, logo or motto of his alma mater for promoting an alumni association launched by him.
Dikshit was dragged to court by Valson Thampu, principal of St. Stephen’s College.
The college’s suit said there already existed an alumni association promoted by the college and called “St. Stephen’s College Alumni Association and Executive” since the last 50 years. It was involved in various constructive activities towards the welfare of the institution, it said.
The society promoted by Dikshit and others, “The St. Stephen’s College Alumni Association”, was alleged to have been created for interfering in the functioning of the college and with mala fide intentions.
Imposing curbs on Dikshit’s association, Justice V.K. Jain said: “It is restrained from using the official crest, logo or motto of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, as also the domain name http://ststephensalumni.co.in.”
“I, however, need not delve further into this aspect of the matter since the defendants (Dikshit and others) have agreed to change the name of their society. The society is restrained from using the name ‘St. Stephen’s College Alumni Association’,” the court said.
“However, they will be entitled to use the name ‘Association of Old Stephanians’, subject to the condition that it will display an appropriate disclaimer on its website, as and when it is started under a new domain name, that it is not the official/approved/recognised alumni association of St. Stephen’s College and it has no connection or affiliation either with St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, or St. Stephen’s College Alumni Association,” the court said in its 19-page judgment.
Thampu alleged that by using the name St. Stephen’s Alumni College, Dikshit was passing off his association’s activities as those of the alumni association of the college and was misleading ex-students.
“The defendant is also collecting subscription, gifts and donations using the name adopted by it,” said the petitioner.
Thampu sought an injunction restraining Dikshit from receiving any subscription or collecting any donations or grant for the membership of his society.