In the Controversial CA Course Advertisement issue against the coaching institute ‘Lakshya’, a practicing Chartered Accountant form Kerala has issued a legal notice to the coaching institute to immediately withdraw the misleading advertisement after the involvement of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
Boby Thomas, an Advocate of Kerala High Court, on behalf of the CA John Lukose noted that the matters published by the Coaching Institute in the brochure/booklet/hoardings claimed that the Institute guarantees students to become ‘Chartered Accountants’ at the age of 21.
The legal notice stated that the institute falsely mentioned in the advertisement that ACCA is a Chartered Accountancy Course which is totally illegal and highly misleading. This course has no connection with the Chartered Accountancy Course and the student passing the exam if he falsely uses the designation of Chartered Accountant will render him liable for fine and imprisonment according to the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949.
“The false advertisement of your product using the wrong statement of a renowned actor to the general public is illegal and unwarranted. This act of yours has tarnished the image of a Chartered Accountant in general and my client in particular before his colleagues as well as others in the society. Your action has led people of ordinary intelligence in society to believe that chartered accountancy courses and the course you offer (ACCA) are of the same value.”, the notice stated.
It was also pointed out that the statement made had lowered the reputation and goodwill of CA and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
It was alleged that the Institute had deliberately chosen to use misleading statements through a well-known actor and thereby misled the students.
The Legal notice called upon the institute to immediately withdraw the misleading statements in all the brochures/booklets/hoardings etc. made by the ‘Indian Institute of Commerce, Lakshya’ with the name of Mr Mohanlal by which it had intentionally tried to gain monetary benefits.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Kozhikode Chapter, Kerala had written to the actor on behalf of the coaching centres addressing their concerns about misleading students with false information about the qualifications offered.
On the allegations, Actor Mohanlal had diligently replied to CA. Mujeeb Rahman M.K, Chairman, Kozhikode Branch of the ICAI at Kerala.
Notably, all different courses in the field of commerce have their own sets of different skills and areas of practice. CA and ACCA are different courses and can not be compared with one another, let alone be advertised in the guise of the other.
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