Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has found himself in serious legal trouble after an arrest warrant was issued against him for alleged fraud related to Employee Provident Fund (EPF) deposits. Uthappa, who runs the company Centuries Lifestyle Brand Private Limited, is accused of failing to deposit INR 23 lakh in PF contributions despite deducting the amount from employees’ salaries.
The arrest warrant, issued by the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner–II and Recovery Officer Shadakshara Gopal Reddy and Recovery Officer KR Puram in Bengaluru, claimed that INR 23.36 lakh is due from Robin Uthappa as the director of Centaurus Lifestyle Brands Pvt Ltd.
Arrest warrant issued against Robin Uthappa in EPF fraud case
According to a report by Asia Net News, the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner–II and Recovery Officer have issued the warrant and instructed the Pulakeshinagar Station House Officer (SHO) to take action against the former Indian cricketer and provide an update by December 27.
Read Also: Jasprit Bumrah gets a captaincy push in Australia against Rohit Sharma
However, in a surprising twist, the police returned empty-handed after finding out that Robin Uthappa had moved to a new address, forcing the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and police authorities to intensify their search for the former T20 World Cup winner.
The warrant issued to the Pulakeshinagar Station House Officer (SHO) reads: “Due to non-remittance of dues, this office is unable to settle the Provident Fund (PF) accounts of poor workers. In view of the above, you are kindly requested to execute the enclosed warrant of arrest. The warrant, which was executed on December 4, has been returned after Mr. Uthappa was found not to be at the Pulakeshinagar residence.”
Robin Uthappa could avoid arrest by settling payments before December 27
However, the warrant will be reportedly canceled if he clears the outstanding dues before December 27. Notably, the former Indian cricketer and his family now reside in Dubai.
Due to the non-payment of dues, Uthappa’s office is unable to settle the provident fund accounts of the workers. If the amount is not cleared by December 27, Uthappa could face serious consequences.
If found guilty, Uthappa could be charged under Section 405 of the Indian Penal Code, which refers to criminal breach of trust for employers who withhold PF or Family Pension Fund contributions.
Robin Uthappa’s cricket career in brief
Notably, Uthappa retired from all forms of the game in 2022, and he was last seen in action in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament in November 2024. He is currently working as the broadcaster. Speaking about Robin Uthappa’s career, he won the Indian Premier League (IPL) title with both Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings.
The former cricketer was part of India’s victorious team in the 2007 T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni’s leadership. Uthappa represented India in 46 One-Day Internationals between 2006 and 2015, scoring 934 runs at an average of 25.94, with a highest score of 86.
He also played 13 Test matches, amassing 249 runs for the country. He also scored nearly 5000 IPL runs at a strike rate of 130.41 and helped Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings win the IPL title in 2012 and 2022, respectively.