In Brief
Panther Security Service, a private security agency, challenged a finding that it was the employer of security guards under the Employees' Provident Fund Act. The agency argued it merely facilitated providing guards and that wage payments came directly from clients. The Supreme Court held that where a security agency provides trained, specialized security guards to clients on a commercial basis, with the agency receiving payments and disbursing wages, the agency is the statutory employer. The Court rejected the agency's claim of mere facilitation and upheld the High Court's decision, noting that the agency's withholding of relevant papers further supported the conclusion.
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