EPF fraud: Arrest warrant issued against ex-Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa over ₹24 lakh EPFO dues

EPF fraud: An arrest warrant has been issued against former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa in connection with alleged fraud involving Employee Provident Fund (EPF) deposits, as he failed to pay ₹24 lakh in dues.

The warrant was issued by Shadakshara Gopal Reddy, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner - II and Recovery Officer in KR Puram, Bengaluru. According to the order, the warrant will be void if Uthappa settles the dues.

Reddy's order states that ₹23.36 lakh is to be recovered from Uthappa, who is identified as the director of Centaurus Lifestyle Brands Pvt Ltd. The official directed the jurisdictional Pulakeshinagar police to return the warrant by December 27.

“The warrant which was executed on December 4 has been returned after Mr. Uthappa was found not to be at the Pulakeshinagar residence,” officials said.

The former Indian opening batsman and his family reportedly live in Dubai.

Uthappa is accused of deducting provident fund contributions from employees' salaries but failing to deposit these amounts into their respective accounts, which constitutes a serious breach of trust under Section 405 of the Indian Penal Code.

Who is Robin Uthappa?

Robin Uthappa, born on November 11, 1985, is a former Indian cricketer known for his impactful performances in both international and domestic cricket. He represented India in 59 international matches, including One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

Uthappa made a memorable ODI debut against England in April 2006, scoring an impressive 86 runs, which remains the highest score for an Indian debutant in limited-overs cricket.

Throughout his career, Uthappa was particularly prominent in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he played for several franchises, including Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and Mumbai Indians. His standout season came in 2014 when he was a key player for KKR, helping them secure the IPL title while finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 660 runs.

In addition to his IPL success, Uthappa was part of the Indian squad that triumphed in the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007. Over his ODI career, he accumulated a total of 1,183 runs across 54 innings, including seven half-centuries.

After announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket on September 14, 2022, Uthappa left behind a legacy as one of India's notable limited-overs specialists.