Hrithik Roshan booked after cheating complaint against company for which he was brand ambassador

Hyderabad: Actor Hrithik Roshan has been booked on the charge of cheating along with three officials of a health and wellness start-up, for which he was a brand ambassador, following a complaint by its client alleging that “false promises” were made in the company advertisement regarding services of its fitness centre.

The complainant, a city-based man, alleged that he was not given daily workout sessions at Cult.Fit fitness centre though he had paid the fee for “unlimited” classes, but the company claimed he had behaved “inappropriately and violently” with its staff and has “wrongly” dragged Roshan into the issue.

Bengaluru-based CureFit operates its chain of fitness centres under the brand ‘Cult.Fit’.

The man lodged the complaint with police here on June 22 stating that in November 2018 he enrolled at the fitness centre/gym by paying Rs 17,490 as member for 10 month period for unlimited classes, but was “cheated by not getting workout sessions daily.”

“Most of the time the workout session is not available which is denying good health benefits causing mental depression,” he said.

Following the complaint, a case under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) was registered against the actor, being the firm’s brand ambassador and three senior officials of the company, Inspector S Laxmi Narayana said.

In a statement, Cult.Fit said it was cooperating with authorities “as per due process and evaluating remedial action”.

“The customer in question, has behaved inappropriately and violently with our staff against whom we were constrained to take action.

“The current police complaint appears to have been hence filed subsequently against us falsely, while also mischievously dragging our celebrity brand ambassador, Hrithik Roshan, wrongly in it,” it said.

The statement said it is a responsible company conscious of the health and safety requirements of both customers as well as its staff.