The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday provided interim relief to former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa by staying an arrest warrant issued against him in a Provident Fund (PF) fraud case involving a private company he was associated with.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj, presiding over a Vacation Bench, temporarily stayed the warrant and related proceedings after Uthappa moved the Court seeking to quash the recovery notices and the arrest warrant.
The arrest warrant was issued on December 21, following orders from the Regional PF Commissioner on December 4. The dispute centers on Centaurus Lifestyle Brands, a company where Uthappa was a director from 2018 to 2020. Authorities allege the company deducted PF contributions from employees’ salaries but failed to deposit them, accruing damages of approximately ₹23.36 lakh.
Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, representing Uthappa, contended that the cricketer had formally resigned as director in May 2020 and had no role in the company’s daily operations. Navadgi argued that Uthappa’s involvement with the firm was limited by contract with its founder, Krishnadas Thandanand Havade and that he could not be classified as an “employer” under the EPF Act.
On December 22, Uthappa communicated to authorities that he was no longer associated with the company’s management or operations, emphasizing his lack of liability in the alleged PF fraud.
The Court’s interim order offers Uthappa temporary protection, deferring further action in the case. Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, supported by advocates Chintan Chinappa, Sushant Belvet, and Venkatesh Kamath, appeared for Uthappa in the proceedings.
