Robin Uthappa breaks silence amid Fraud Allegations, claims Non-Involvement and pursuing Legal Action

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Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has broken his silence after fraud case allegations against him.

Allegations against Uthappa of Provident Fund (PF) fraud connected to his business undertakings as the director of Centaurus Lifestyle Brands Private Limited.

The accusation centers around the non-remittance of PF deductions taken from the company's staff salaries, raising serious concerns over financial misconduct.

The core of the issue lies in the alleged failure of Uthappa's firm, Centaurus Lifestyle Brands, to deposit the PF contributions it deducted from its employees' paychecks. This oversight has reportedly resulted in financial distress for the employees, with the company being accused of withholding nearly ₹23.36 lakh.

Shadakshiri Gopala Reddy, the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, emphasized the severity of this negligence and an arrest warrant was lodged against him. The Pulakeshi Nagar Police in Bengaluru were instructed to carry out this warrant, aiming to secure Uthappa to recover the outstanding dues. However, efforts to locate and apprehend Uthappa at his Bengaluru residence were fruitless, as it emerged that the former cricketer had relocated.

MyKhel was informed by the police station that EPFO will take next action against Robin Uthappa as they already revoked the warrant. And now, the former India player has finally broken his silence. He posted on social media and said he was not directly associated with the business and even left his post as director of the alleged company. The player also confirmed that he started a judicial process by himself against the entities as his own investment was also beyond recuperation.

"In light of recent news of the PF case against me, I would like to provide some clarification with regards to my involvement with Strawberry Lencería Pvt. Ltd., Centaurus Lifestyle Brands Pvt. Ltd., and Berryz Fashion House. In 2018-19, I was appointed as a director in these companies due to my financial contributions to them in the form of loans. However, I did not have an active executive role, nor was I involved in the day-to-day operations of the businesses. Given my demanding schedule as a professional cricketer, TV presenter, and commentator, neither did I have the time nor expertise to participate in their operations. In fact, I do not play an executive role in any other companies I have funded, till date," a statement on X from Uthappa read.

"Regrettably, these companies failed to repay the funds I lent them, leading me to initiate legal proceedings, which are currently sub judice. I also resigned from my directorships several years ago."

The former India player has also strictly denied any involvement in the functioning of the company, and also confirmed his legal team had already spoken to Provident Fund authorities.

"When the Provident Fund authorities issued notices demanding payment of dues, my legal team responded, highlighting that I had no role in these companies and provided documentation from the companies themselves confirming my lack of involvement. Despite this, the Provident Fund authorities have continued with proceedings, and my legal advisors will take the necessary steps to resolve this matter in the coming days," it added.

Uthappa, the coveted India cricketer, was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning squad. In his career, he has played 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is for India. The 39-year-old has also played in the IPL till the 2022 season and won the title with Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings.