Chate classes, which has unleashed a blitzkrieg of advertisements in the print media, is fighting allegations of pumping in black money into its promotional campaigns. ``Yes we are spending heavily on advertising. But that is one of the best methods of roping in new students,'' said Machindra Chate, proprietor of Chate classes.

Certain sections of the press had also reported about a written complaint against Chate Classes made to the State Education Minister by Sanket Dusad, the state HSC topper.

Though Sanket was reported as having charged Chate classes of misusing his name to promote its interests in the latter, today he told presspersons he never wrote any such letter. He along with his family was flown in from Amravati for the press conference, all expenses paid.

Vishaka Gupta, state SSC topper,too was there with her family. ``Chate has definitely helped us do well in our exams,'' said both students. Sanket, however, was very upset about the press reports. ``I would very much like to see the letter,'' he said.

Chate too was in an aggressive mood. ``My coaching class is being targeted by certain people in this business who are not happy with my popularity. These people will benefit by slinging mud on me,'' he said.

``The press has, in the past few days, widely commented on my advertising and some papers have even discussed use of black money in the same. They have also linked my success to the deputy chief minister, Gopinath Munde, who's a dear friend,'' he added. ``They talk about my almost meteoric rise and say it is due to the relations I have with the politicians. But no one realises that I have been in this business for ten years now.'' Sanket also used the press conference to air his frustration with the state.

He alleged all ministers have a pro-Mumbai bias. ``Anil Deshmukh had a lot oftime to get himself photographed with the Mumbai toppers but he could not send the state topper a small letter of greeting,'' he said.