A Mumbai sessions court has temporarily stayed proceedings against former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa in a 2019 cheque bounce case, indicating that he was likely not in charge of the daily operations of the company involved.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Senior Marketing Pvt Ltd against Centaurus Lifestyle and its directors, including Uthappa, for issuing a post-dated cheque that was dishonored due to “insufficient balance.”
In an order issued on Thursday, the additional sessions judge noted that it appears Uthappa was not responsible for the day-to-day affairs of Centaurus Lifestyle when the cheque was dishonored.
Consequently, the court has suspended the trial court’s proceedings against Uthappa until January 4, 2025, as his challenge to the magistrate’s order is pending.
Uthappa’s revision plea stated that in June 2019, the magistrate had summoned all accused, but none appeared on the specified date. In January 2020, a bailable warrant was issued against the accused, including Uthappa.
Subsequently, from 2021 to 2023, a non-bailable warrant was issued, but the accused continued to be absent, leading to a proclamation order issued in early 2024.
According to Uthappa, he became aware of the case and the warrants only when he was contacted by the Indiranagar Police Station in Bengaluru in April 2024, following the issuance of the proclamation order.
The plea explained that Centaurus Lifestyle had entered into an agreement with Senior Marketing for the distribution and sale of merchandise in Mumbai.
However, the agreement was terminated due to disputes, and the lifestyle company issued a post-dated cheque for ₹22,22,729, which was later dishonored.
Uthappa asserted that he was merely a “non-active” director and an investor in Centaurus Lifestyle, with no involvement in business transactions or daily operations. He described the magistrate’s summons as “illegal” and claimed the trial court had failed to consider key facts in the case, acting in a “mechanical manner” without proper judicial scrutiny.
Taking Uthappa’s arguments into account, the sessions judge has temporarily halted the magistrate court’s proceedings against him, providing him with a reprieve as the legal process unfolds.
