The British College Named in Contract Dispute as Indian Firm Alleges Retaliatory Review Activity

The British College, Kathmandu, has been named in a contractual dispute after an Indian digital services firm alleged that it faced coordinated online review attacks following enforcement of payment terms under a professional services agreement.

IDigitalAKKI Media, a Gurugram-based branding and digital reputation consultancy, stated that it entered into a three-month, non-cancellable agreement on 8 January 2026 with The British College for online reputation management, crisis handling, public relations, and search reputation work. The engagement was conducted on a professional basis and involved coordination with representatives of the college, including Rajen Kandel, according to the firm.

The company said the contract clearly defined a monthly instalment-based payment structure. While the first month’s payment was received, payments for the second and third months were not made despite reminders and contractual obligations. IDigitalAKKI Media maintained that during the initial weeks of the engagement it executed extensive enforcement and suppression work across major digital platforms, including the reporting and restriction of high-reach defamatory content, coordinated platform escalations, and preparatory work for public relations and search visibility improvements. The firm said this progress was acknowledged by the client during the early phase of the engagement.

According to IDigitalAKKI Media, the situation changed when the second instalment became due in early February. The firm alleged that new conditions were introduced which were not part of the signed agreement, including demands for instant content deletions and continued execution without payment. The company stated that, as permitted under the contract, it paused services strictly due to non-payment.

A formal legal notice was subsequently issued through counsel seeking payment of the outstanding dues. The firm claimed that payment was declined unless ordered by a court, and that a conditional partial settlement proposal was made which was rejected as inconsistent with the agreed terms.

Following the legal escalation, IDigitalAKKI Media reported a sudden influx of one-star reviews on its Google Business Profile. The reviews were posted within a short span of time, originated from low-activity or newly active accounts, and contained broad allegations without evidence of a commercial relationship. The company further stated that publicly visible profile information showed that the reviewer accounts were based in Kathmandu, Nepal, despite the firm operating solely from India and having no verifiable client relationship with those accounts.

The firm also noted that at least one reviewer account had posted a positive review for The British College days earlier, despite the two entities operating in different countries and unrelated sectors. IDigitalAKKI Media said it has documented the review activity and raised the matter through Google’s moderation mechanisms, citing concerns related to conflict of interest and coordinated inauthentic behaviour.

IDigitalAKKI Media emphasised that it welcomes genuine and verifiable feedback, but expressed concern that online review systems should not be used as instruments of pressure in contractual disputes. The company confirmed that the contract remains legally binding, that payments for the remaining two months remain unpaid, and that services will remain paused until the matter is resolved.

The firm added that it is preparing further legal action through counsel in India and Nepal, while keeping the option of amicable resolution open. Industry observers note that as cross-border professional engagements increase, disputes of this nature underline the importance of ethical contract enforcement and responsible digital conduct, particularly where online reputation platforms can be rapidly weaponised during commercial disagreements.