5 players who landed in controversy due to their business engagements ft. Robin Uthappa
Cricket is a highly lucrative sport, and the financial rewards for players have often been immense, especially since the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Those rewards often push players to invest in different businesses and ventures, which would keep them afloat after their careers.
However, a great business opportunity always comes with some degree of cost. Some players often invest in some businesses, without doing their due diligence, leading to fraudulent activities. Moreover, a few of them having much fame also could be exploited to attract investors for the welfare of their business.
On that note, let's take a look at a few cricketers who have been embroiled in a controversy owing to their business engagements.
#1 MS Dhoni
In 2019, an FIR was allegedly filed against the real estate company, Amrapali Group for attracting customers to invest in their housing projects. The group appointed former Indian captain MS Dhoni as their brand ambassador to achieve their objectives. The star cricketer reportedly received an endorsement fee of INR 42 crore and is said to have bought a penthouse in one of the projects of the firm.
However, after securing thousands of crores from investors, the housing projects were unfinished. The Supreme Court also found out that the various projects of the Amrapali Group were made to deceive and cheat the people.
The complainants pressed on their demand of Dhoni to be also one of the accused in the scam. Although there were rumors of him being arrested, the claims were not true. But, it surely created much controversy and brought Dhoni into scrutiny.
#2 Robin Uthappa
Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa was recently issued an arrest warrant for a Provident Fund fraud, pertaining to his clothing firm, Centaurus Lifestyle Brands Pvt Ltd. It is alleged that Uthappa did not deposit INR 23.36 lakh to the PF account after deducting the same money from his employees's salaries.
The police had been directed to arrest Uthappa from his residence in Bengaluru. However, since 2023, the 39-year-old has shifted his base to Dubai and the warrant makes no sense now.
In his response, Uthappa claimed that he was made the director of three companies, including Centaurus Lifestyle Brands after he funded them. However, after they failed to repay the loan, he resigned from directorship and held no executive roles.
#3 Hardik Pandya
In April 2024, Hardik Pandya and his brother Krunal Pandya lodged an FIR against their stepbrother Vaibhav. According to the reports, they got into an agreement with Vaibhav and started a polymer business in 2021.
Hardik and Krunal infused 40 percent each into the capital, while Vaibhav's share stood at 20 percent. The deal mentioned that the profits would be distributed in accordance with their investment ratios.
However, Vaibhav diverted the profits into his personal account and also increased his share to 33.3 percent. The situation escalated when he transferred money from the partnership account to another company. As a result, the Pandya brothers suffered a substantial loss of INR 4.3 crore.
Following a thorough investigation, Vaibhav was arrested and remained in police custody for five days.
#4 Aakash Chopra
In November last year, former cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra lodged a complaint related to fraud for his investment of over INR 57 lakh in a sports shoe business.
In his complaint, Chopra accused the son of the former Hyderabad Cricket Association and the owner of a sports shop in Secunderabad of defrauding him. The agreement mentioned that the person promised Chopra to return his money along with 20 percent profit. However, after 12 months, Chopra received only around INR 24.5 lakh.
Both father and son stopped responding to Chopra's calls as well. Although no further update arrived about the case, it surely caused much controversy.
#5 Virat Kohli
The star Indian batter, Virat Kohli was recently involved in a controversy surrounding his One8 Commune pub in Bengaluru. The facility was accused of operating without obtaining mandatory clearances, including a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department.
A social activist filed a police complaint, citing a risk due to a lack of fire safety measures. The civic body gave the pub a seven-day deadline on December 21 for their explanation. They further stated that if they fail to give an explanation, legal action will be taken against them.
In June this year, the pub was found to be open until 1:30 AM, beyond the permissible time of 1 AM, and there were also complaints of loud music being played.