MBIE prosecution: Warrant sought for Hamilton businessman who fled overseas

Dinsdale man Gaurav Batra, 40, above, and his company GSK Company Ltd, each face seven charges laid by MBIE in the Hamilton District Court. Photo / Belinda Feek

Two Hamilton company directors and their company are being prosecuted after allegedly failing to pay two of their staff appropriately.

Dinsdale man Gaurav Batra, 40, and his company GSK Company Ltd, face seven charges each, while fellow company director Sourav Sardana, 29, faces one charge.

The trio's alleged offending happened between March 8, 2017, and December 10, 2018, and involves three sets of legislation; the Holidays Act, Minimum Wage Act and Wages Protection Act.

Sardana, of Frankton, faces one charge of being responsible for a serious contravention of the Wages Protection Act on or about July 11, 2017.

However, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment [MBIE] prosecutor Martin Denyer told the registrar they had been unable to serve the charging documents on Sardana as he had gone overseas.

"He has left the country and we have no idea of when he is returning," Denyer told the court.

He successfully had a warrant issued for Sardana's arrest when he did return.

Batra and GSK's charges include three charges of breaching the Wages Protection Act on April 3, 2017, July 11, 2017, and April 16, 2018; two charges of being in serious default under the Minimum Wage Act for two staff between March 8, 2017, and October 3, 2018; and May 1, 2017, and December 10, 2018, and two charges of serious failure to pay two temporary staff money payable under the Holidays Act during the same time period.

The charges carry a maximum prison term of seven years or a $100,000 fine.

Through duty counsel, Batra - who was also representing his company GSK - was remanded to reappear next month to seek legal advice.

One of the companies run by GSK includes a kebab shop in Dinsdale.