Karnataka HC stays arrest warrant against Robin Uthappa in PF fraud case

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court granted interim relief to former cricketer Robin Uthappa on Tuesday by temporarily staying an arrest warrant issued against him in a Provident Fund (PF) fraud case.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj, presiding over a vacation bench, also suspended related proceedings in response to Uthappa’s petition to quash recovery notices and the arrest warrant.

The Bengaluru police issued the arrest warrant on December 21 based on directives from the Regional PF Commissioner on December 4, which demanded the recovery of dues associated with Uthappa’s former role as a director at Centaurus Lifestyle Brands.

The allegations state that the company deducted PF contributions from employee salaries but failed to deposit those contributions, resulting in Rs 23.36 lakh in unpaid dues. Uthappa served as a director from 2018 until his resignation in May 2020.

During the hearing, senior advocate Prabhuling Navadgi, representing Uthappa, argued that the cricketer was not involved in the company’s day-to-day operations, in accordance with his agreement with the company’s founder, Krishnadas Thandanand Havade.

Navadgi asserted that Uthappa cannot be held accountable as an “employer” under the Employees’ Provident Funds (EPF) Act.

Uthappa’s legal team, which includes advocates Chintan Chinappa, Sushant Belvet, and Venkatesh Kamath, also emphasised that he had notified the authorities of his resignation and his lack of involvement in the company’s operations.

The court has granted interim protection, and further proceedings are awaited.