The growing race among coaching institutes to claim top rankers, earlier seen in exams like JEE Main and NEET, has now reached CLAT 2026 as well. Amid competing claims over toppers between Legal Edge, LPT and other institutes, the CLAT 2026 All India Rank 1 candidate approached the Jodhpur High Court by filing a criminal petition against Law Prep Tutorial. In her FIR, Geetali Gupta (Minor), CLAT 2026 All India Rank 1, through father and natural guardian Jagdeep Kumar Gupta, alleged she was projected as a student of the coaching institute after securing AIR 1 and that there were disputes following offers from rival institutes. The Jodhpur High Court ruled that such disputes should not turn into criminal litigations, especially when a student is involved. Further, the court has directed the parties to appear before the Mediation Centre on January 21, 2026.
Particular | Details |
Court | High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan, Jodhpur |
Case Number | S.B. Criminal Miscellaneous Petition No. 228/2026 |
Date of Order | January 12, 2026 |
Presiding Judge | Hon’ble Mr. Justice Baljinder Singh Sandhu |
Petitioner | Geetali Gupta (Minor), CLAT 2026 All India Rank 1, through father and natural guardian Jagdeep Kumar Gupta |
Respondent No. 1 | State of Rajasthan |
Respondent No. 2 | Jasaram, Additional Director, Law Prep Tutorial (LPT EdTech Pvt. Ltd.) |
Nature of Case | Criminal Miscellaneous Petition |
FIR Details | FIR No. 04/26 |
Core Issue | Dispute over coaching credit claimed for CLAT 2026 AIR 1 |
Legal Concern | Criminal proceedings arising out of a coaching institute credit dispute involving a minor |
Aspect | Court’s Observations / Directions |
Geetali Gupta’s side | The Jodhpur high court took note that Gupta is a minor and a CLAT 2026 topper. The matter requires very careful and sensitive handling. |
Allegations against LPT in Gupta’s FIR | The FIR filed by CLAT 2026 AIR 1 alleged that she was projected as a student of LPT after securing AIR 1 and that there were disputes following offers from rival institutes |
What caused the dispute? | The court observed that the issue appeared to stem from a rivalry between coaching institutes over credit for a top ranker |
The Court’s View on Criminalisation of the matter | The Jodhpur High Court expressed that such disputes should not escalate into criminal litigation, especially when a student is involved |
Mediation Direction | The matter was referred to mediation to explore an amicable resolution |
Mediation Date | Parties were directed to appear before the Mediation Centre on January 21, 2026 |
Mode of Service | Permission granted to serve notice through electronic modes such as WhatsApp or email |
Investigation Status | Further investigation in the FIR was stayed until the outcome of the mediation |
Next Hearing | The matter is to be listed with the mediator’s report on February 16, 2026 |
Representation of Minor | The petitioner’s father was permitted to appear on her behalf, including through video conferencing if required |
Ever since the announcement of the CLAT results 2026, there have been competing claims from both Legal Edge and Law Prep Tutorial, both claiming that the AIR 1 Geetali Gupta took coaching from their institute. Later, a video surfaced where the CLAT 2026 AIR 1 denied having any association with Law Prep Tutorial. Meanwhile, Law Prep Tutorial claimed that Gupta was a documented student of their OG Batch (elite program). LPT claimed that Legal Edge pressurised the CLAT 2026 AIR 1 to deny any association with its coaching. The matter further became intense when the topper filed an FIR against LPT on January 12, 2026.
Aspect | Details |
Where did the controversy start? | Both Law Prep Tutorial (LPT) and LegalEdge claimed having association with CLAT 2026 AIR 1 topper Geetali Gupta |
LPT’s Position | LPT claims the topper was a documented student of their OG Batch (elite program) and that the video was misleading or coerced |
Action by Investigating Authority | FIR filed by LPT against the directors of LegalEdge, accusing them of coercion and misleading conduct |
Allegation Against LegalEdge | LPT alleges LegalEdge pressured the student/family to publicly deny the LPT association |
Student Reaction | Online discussion (Reddit) shows divided opinions on coaching quality, mock tests, and alleged practices of both institutes |
The Jodhpur High Court expressed that such disputes cannot be escalated into criminal litigations, especially when one of the parties is a student. The court issued a notice to the representative of Law Prep Tutorial, and the matter has been referred to mediation for an amicable resolution. The Jodhpur High Court ordered both parties to appear before the Mediation Centre on January 21, 2026. The court also stayed further investigation in the FIR until the outcome of the mediation. The matter has been further listed with the mediator’s report in February 2026.
On Question asked by student community
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