Cricket Star Uthappa Gets Temporary Relief in PF Fraud Case

The Karnataka High Court has temporarily stayed an arrest warrant against former cricketer Robin Uthappa in a Provident Fund fraud case. Uthappa, who resigned as director of Centaurus Lifestyle Brands in 2020, is accused of failing to deposit employee PF contributions, but he claims no involvement in daily operations.

The Karnataka High Court provided interim relief to former cricketer Robin Uthappa by halting an arrest warrant in a Provident Fund fraud case. Justice Suraj Govindaraj, at the helm of a vacation bench, paused proceedings after Uthappa sought to annul recovery notices and the arrest warrant.

The arrest warrant was issued by Bengaluru police on December 21 after the Regional PF Commissioner demanded recovery of unpaid dues linked with Uthappa's previous role at Centaurus Lifestyle Brands. The allegations claim that PF contributions were deducted but not deposited, resulting in Rs 23.36 lakh in unpaid dues. Uthappa resigned from his director position in May 2020.

Senior advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, defending Uthappa, stated that the cricket star wasn't involved in the company's daily operations as per an agreement with the founder, Krishnadas Thandanand Havade. Uthappa's legal representatives, including advocates Chintan Chinappa, Sushant Belvet, and Venkatesh Kamath, confirmed that he had informed authorities of his resignation and non-involvement in operations. The court has granted temporary protection while further proceedings are anticipated.

(With inputs from agencies.)