Court relief to cricketer Robin Uthappa in cheque bounce case

The Mumbai Sessions Court has granted interim relief to cricketer Robin Uthappa by putting a pause over the proceedings against him in a case concerning the dishonouring of a check. Uthappa approached the Sessions Court to challenge the summons and the issuance of process by a Magistrate Court.
Dishonouring a cheque means that a bank refuses to process it for payment, typically due to reasons such as insufficient funds in the account, a mismatched signature, or an expired cheque.
Uthappa, who is from Bengaluru, is involved in a dispute with Centaurus Lifestyle Brands Pvt Ltd, a clothing company in which he invested money and served as a non-active director. He has filed a case against the company in Bengaluru regarding non-payment of dues, which is ongoing.
The current case sprouted up after a cheque issued by Centaurus to a Mumbai-based company, Senior Marketing Pvt Ltd, was dishonoured. This led Senior Marketing to file a complaint against Centaurus and its directors in a magistrate’s court in Mumbai.
Advocate Siddhesh Borkar represented Uthappa and stated that he was a director solely due to his investments in the clothing company, which had promised him profits. “Uthappa himself is duped by this company to the tune of upwards of Rs. 12 crore. The agreement that got him on board with the company clearly specifies that he had no role or was in charge of day-to-day affairs and management of the business of the company,” Borkar said.
Borkar emphasised that Uthappa did not issue the check and had previously filed complaints under the Negotiable Instruments Act against the company in 2019, before the cheque dishonour proceedings began. He noted that because Uthappa had initiated these complaints, he was not informed of the proceedings in the Mumbai court until recently, highlighting his lack of involvement in the company’s daily operations.
Borkar argued for urgency in hearing Uthappa’s plea, citing concerns that the Magistrate Court might start trial soon.
The Sessions Court paused the trial against Uthappa and issued a notice to Senior Marketing Pvt Ltd. The next hearing is scheduled for January 4, 2025.