A district court in Chandigarh has issued summons to actor Salman Khan, his sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri and the directors of Style and Content Jewellery Private Limited in connection with a complaint alleging cheating and financial losses related to a Being Human jewellery outlet in the city.

The court has directed all those named in the complaint to appear before it on October 5 and submit their responses to the allegations.

The dispute originates from a complaint filed by businessman Arun Gupta, who claims that he was persuaded to establish a Being Human jewellery showroom in Chandigarh's Manimajra area on the basis of assurances that were allegedly not fulfilled.

According to the complaint, Gupta invested close to ₹3 crore in the venture after signing an agreement with Style and Content Jewellery Pvt Ltd, the company authorised to operate the Being Human jewellery business. He has alleged that nearly ₹1 crore was spent on setting up and developing the showroom infrastructure.

Gupta has further claimed that, despite meeting all contractual obligations, the company failed to extend the business support and assistance that had allegedly been promised at the time of the agreement.

The complaint also states that the outlet responsible for supplying Being Human jewellery products has remained closed since February 2020, resulting in inventory shortages and substantial financial losses for the showroom.

In his petition, Gupta has accused six individuals associated with the company of misrepresenting the business opportunity and inducing him to invest large sums of money.

Earlier, the company rejected the allegations and maintained that Salman Khan was not personally involved in the agreement signed with the Chandigarh businessman in 2018. It clarified that the Salman Khan Foundation had only licensed the Being Human brand to Style and Content Jewellery Pvt Ltd, while all operational and commercial responsibilities rested with the company.

The matter will next be heard on October 5.