Raipur, August 9: International mountaineer Rahul Gupta, known as the ‘Mountain Man’, has filed a petition against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav in a Raipur court. The court has issued a notice to the Chief Minister, with the next hearing scheduled for August 11.
Gupta alleges that Dr. Yadav, through his official social media platforms, promoted mountaineer Ankit Sen from Jabalpur as the ‘Mountain Man’. He claims this has harmed his established identity and the legally registered ‘Mountain Man’ trademark.
According to Gupta, he was awarded the title of ‘Mountain Man’ by the then Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Dr. Raman Singh, in 2014 for his outstanding achievements in sports. Following this, his legal team applied for the trademark of the name in the same year, which was officially registered in 2019.
Gupta stated that he conquered Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, on May 14, 2018. He asserts that over the past decade, he has established the identity of ‘Mountain Man’ both nationally and internationally.
He alleges that the promotion of Ankit Sen as the ‘Mountain Man’ by the Chief Minister has damaged his trademark rights, personal identity, and business interests. He cited violations of his rights under Sections 28 and 29 of the Trademarks Act, 1999, and also accused the Chief Minister of infringing on his personality and publicity rights.
Gupta mentioned that he had sent complaints and reminders to the Chief Secretary and Chief Minister’s office in Madhya Pradesh in June and August 2025, requesting the removal of the disputed social media posts and clarification on the matter. However, despite multiple attempts to reach out, no action was taken on his complaint.
His main demand is for the Chief Minister’s office to publicly clarify who the official identity of the ‘Mountain Man’ is associated with.
Gupta stated, “We tried to resolve this dispute through continuous dialogue and communication. We reached out via email and other means, but there was no response. Ultimately, we had to knock on the doors of the court for justice.” The next hearing of the case will take place in Raipur court on August 11.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.