New Delhi: The corporate giant Tata Sons Ltd (TSL) almost got a recruiting agency — a self-appointed one which, using the renowned brand name, had issued several appointment letters to persons giving them jobs in various Tata companies. However, when TSL approached the Delhi High Court, the latter restrained the bogus firm Tata India Ltd (TIL) from using the name "Tata" in its business activities.

"I am satisfied that the circumstances are such that the defendants should be restrained by an ex-parte ad interim injunction from using the name Tata for their business purposes," Justice Madan B Lokur said in the order.

The court also directed TIL to stop removing, disposing, mortgaging, assigning, charging or otherwise dealing with any of their assets jointly or severally, which may tend to mislead the public into believing that they are acting on behalf of the Tata Group of Companies. Now, the Delhi Police have arrested two persons running the TIL, and sent them to Tihar Jail in judicial custody. TSL counsel Pravin Anand had alleged that recruitment agency had no authority to use the name Tata and by using the trademark of the corporate giant, TIL was misleading the people and cheated some persons into parting with money for the purpose of gaining employment in the Tata Group of companies.

However, Mr Anand said that when the Local Commissioner appointed the court to search/seize relevant papers of TIL, visited the East Delhi premises of the recruiting agency with police assistance, he found that the principal officer of the firm HP Singhal, whose name apparently appeared on appointment letters, had fled. Giving details of the incident, a top executive of Tata Sons Ltd, Mr FN Subedar said it was found from the address of TIL given in the appointment letters received by some persons that it was a non-existent company.