On December 15, 2025, the Supreme Court extended interim protection from arrest to actors Shreyas Talpade and Alok Nath. This is linked to a cheating and criminal breach of trust case involving the Human Welfare Credit Cooperative Society Ltd chit fund. A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan passed the order after hearing requests for extension of protection. Shreyas Talpade’s counsel said the actor was only a brand ambassador and not involved in managing the society. Justice Nagarathna questioned, “If a top actor or a cricketer is advertising or appearing as a brand ambassador for a corporate company which later goes into liquidation or against which criminal cases are filed, will it also go against the cricketer or actor?” The same relief was granted to Alok Nath, whose counsel added that the actor never attended any functions organized by the society. The Supreme Court also heard pleas from both actors asking to club the FIRs registered in various states related to this case. Thirteen people, including Talpade and Nath, were booked after a Haryana resident complained. The complainant alleged that the actors promoted the Human Welfare Credit Cooperative Society Ltd as brand ambassadors. The complainant’s counsel said, “Day in and day out, he (Talpade) has promoted this company. Each year he comes for the events of the company. Trusting him, people have invested their money. There has to be some liability.” However, the Bench noted Talpade was not a member of the company. Justice Nagarathna remarked, “The public are very naive and very greedy at the same time. They want more interest for their investments. People go to such small-time investment companies because they are greedy.” Talpade’s lawyer said the actor was cooperating with police and was not running away from the investigation.