The division bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice R S Sodhi asked the respondents including IIT course coordinator S K Atreya, Delhi Police Commissioner, South Delhi DCP and managing director of the private institute, Foundation for Invention and Technology Transfer (FITT), A K Sengupta, to file replies by November eight.

The other respondents are IIT's Administrative Assistant Surinder Sharma, station house officer (SHO) Hauz Khas police station and two private firms -- Next Technology Pvt Ltd and Karta Technology India Pvt Ltd.

The notices were issued on a writ petition seeking registration of first information report (FIR) against those involved in the "cheating and conspiracy", by five studentswho had enrolled themselves for the said course which commenced on August 1, 1997.

The petitioners alleged that FITT's advertisement for the course bore the insignia of IIT, Delhi clearly mentioning the names of its director and course coordinator.

``The brochure and folders offered to the students clearly mentioned that the six-month Advance Design Technology Course with a fee of Rs 75,000 is under acronym of Design School of the IIT, Delhi," the petitioners alleged.

The students said, ``The advertisement and information given in the folder, prospectus and media were sufficient to make any one to believe that the said course is being offered by the IIT."

"There was no room for doubting the genuineness or bonafide as the publicity material amply, boldly and prominently carried the name and logo of the IIT, Delhi," the plea said adding that IIT at no point of time clarified that it was not associated with the course.

Besides the first advertisement issued on April 9, 1997, another was issued in Juneto attract more students to the course, the petition claimed and said the classes for the course were conducted in the IIT premises.

The petitioners said that on becoming suspicious, they lodged a complaint with the Hauz Khas police station and DCP South Delhi seeking investigation into the matter. But the FITT, without conducting the final examination, sent the certificates to the students by registered post.

``The students were shocked to see that the certificates did not carry the signature and seal of any authorised official of the IIT," petitioners said.

They said when some of the students approached private sectors for job, the companies refused to recognise the authenticity of the course and the certificates.

The FITT, which was actually conducting the course, had promised jobs in private companies with a starting salary ranging between Rs 6,000 and Rs 13,000 per month, they added.