Mumbai (PTI): A PIL has been filed in the Bombay High Court against Italian fashion house Prada for its alleged unauthorised use of the Kolhapuri chappals, and sought compensation to be paid to Indian artisans for allegedly copying their design.

Prada in its spring/summer collection showcased their 'toe-ring sandals', which the petition said are deceptively similar to the Kolhapur chappal. These sandals are priced at Rs 1 lakh per pair.

"The Kolhapuri chappal is the cultural symbol of Maharashtra," the plea filed by six Pune-based lawyers said.

The petition has been filed against the Prada Group and various Maharashtra government authorities.

It has sought a direction to Prada from commercialising and using its 'toe-ring sandals' without any authorisation, and for the fashion group to issue a public apology and acknowledge the use of Kolhapuri chappals.

The plea said the Kolhapuri chappal (slippers) is already protected as a Geographical Indication (GI) under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act.

"The court shall also order a permanent injunction against Prada's unauthorised GI use and to compensate the artisans' community for reputational and economic damages," the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) said.

It also sought an inquiry against Prada for violating the rights of GI-registered proprietors and the artisans' community.

By way of interim order, the PIL has sought damages and compensation to be paid to the artisans' community, including a temporary injunction restraining Prada from marketing, selling or exporting their sandals.

It added that Prada has privately accepted that its collection has been inspired by Indian artisans but has not yet issued any formal apology or compensation to the original artisans.

"The private acknowledgement appears to be merely a superficial attempt to deflect criticism," the PIL said.

The petitioners sought a direction to the authorities to ensure and protect the rights of the community and to grant compensation.

Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI) A PIL has been filed in the Bombay High Court against Italian fashion house Prada for its alleged unauthorised use of the Kolhapuri chappals, and sought compensation to be paid to Indian artisans for allegedly copying their design.

Prada in its spring/summer collection showcased their 'toe-ring sandals', which the petition said are deceptively similar to the Kolhapur chappal. These sandals are priced at Rs 1 lakh per pair.

"The Kolhapuri chappal is the cultural symbol of Maharashtra," the plea filed by six Pune-based lawyers said.

The petition has been filed against the Prada Group and various Maharashtra government authorities.

It has sought a direction to Prada from commercialising and using its 'toe-ring sandals' without any authorisation, and for the fashion group to issue a public apology and acknowledge the use of Kolhapuri chappals.

The plea said the Kolhapuri chappal (slippers) is already protected as a Geographical Indication (GI) under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act.

"The court shall also order a permanent injunction against Prada's unauthorised GI use and to compensate the artisans' community for reputational and economic damages," the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) said.

It also sought an inquiry against Prada for violating the rights of GI-registered proprietors and the artisans' community.

By way of interim order, the PIL has sought damages and compensation to be paid to the artisans' community, including a temporary injunction restraining Prada from marketing, selling or exporting their sandals.

It added that Prada has privately accepted that its collection has been inspired by Indian artisans but has not yet issued any formal apology or compensation to the original artisans.

"The private acknowledgement appears to be merely a superficial attempt to deflect criticism," the PIL said.

The petitioners sought a direction to the authorities to ensure and protect the rights of the community and to grant compensation.

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Mumbai, Jul 26 (PTI): Enforcement Directorate searches against the companies of Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani in Mumbai continued for the third day on Saturday with the agency recovering a number of documents and computer peripherals from multiple locations, official sources said.

The raids were launched on July 24 by the federal probe agency as part of an alleged Rs 3,000 crore worth bank loan fraud-linked money laundering case apart from multiple other allegations of financial irregularities with crores of rupees by certain companies.

The searches, being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), are continuing at some locations out of the more than 35 premises that were covered in Mumbai since Thursday, the sources said.

These premises belong to 50 companies and 25 people including a number of executives of the Anil Ambani Group companies.

ED sources had said the investigation primarily pertains to allegations of illegal loan diversion of around Rs 3,000 crore, given by the Yes Bank to the group companies of Ambani between 2017-2019.

Reliance Power and Reliance Infrastructure, two companies of the group, had on Thursday informed the stock exchanges saying while they acknowledge the action, the raids had "absolutely no impact" on their business operations, financial performance, shareholders, employees, or any other stakeholders.

"The media reports appear to pertain to allegations concerning transactions of Reliance Communications Limited (RCOM) or Reliance Home Finance Limited (RHFL) which are over 10 years old," the companies had said.

The ED, the sources had said, has found that just before the loan was granted, Yes Bank promoters "received" money in their concerns.

The agency is investigating this nexus of "bribe" and the loan.

The sources said the ED is also probing allegations of "gross violations" in Yes Bank loan approvals to these companies including charges like back-dated credit approval memorandums, investments proposed without any due diligence/credit analysis in violation of banks credit policy.

The loans are alleged to have been "diverted" to many group companies and "shell" (bogus) companies by the entities involved.

The agency is also looking at some instances of loans given to entities with weak financials, lack of proper documentation of loans and due diligence, borrowers having common addresses and common directors in their companies etc., the sources said.

The money laundering case stems from at least two CBI FIRs and reports shared by the National Housing Bank, SEBI, National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) and Bank of Baroda with the ED, they said.

These reports indicate, the sources said, that there was a "well-planned and thought after scheme" to divert or siphon off public money by cheating banks, shareholders, investors and other public institutions.

The Union government had informed the Parliament recently that the State Bank of India has classified RCOM along with Ambani as 'fraud' and was also in the process of lodging a complaint with the CBI.

A bank loan "fraud" of more than Rs 1,050 crore between RCOM and Canara Bank is also under the scanner of the ED apart from some "undisclosed" foreign bank accounts and assets, the sources said.

Reliance Mutual fund is also stated to have invested Rs 2,850 crore in AT-1 bonds and a "quid pro quo" is suspected here by the agency.

Additional Tier 1 (AT-1) are perpetual bonds issued by banks to increase their capital base and they are riskier than traditional bonds having higher interest rates. An alleged loan fund diversion of about Rs 10,000 crore involving Reliance Infrastructure too is under the scanner of the agency.

A Sebi report on RHFL is also part of the ED probe.

The companies also said in their filings before the stock exchanges that Anil Ambani was not on the Board of either Reliance Power or Reliance Infrastructure and that they had no "business or financial linkage" to RCOM or RHFL.

Any action taken against RCOM or RHFL, the companies said, has no bearing or impact on the governance, management, or operations of either Reliance Power or Reliance Infrastructure.