Man posing as UAE Royal staff flees Delhi 5-star hotel without paying Rs 23 lakh bill

A man duped Delhi's 5-star hotel Leela Palace of over Rs 23 lakhs after staying there for three months and fleeing without paying the outstanding bills.

New Delhi:A man posing as an employee of the Royal family of UAE stayed at New Delhi's Hotel Leela Palace for three months, and fled without settling his outstanding bill of more than Rs 23 lakh. Identified as Mahamed Sharif, the accused used a fake business card to support his false claims. The Delhi police have lodged an FIR against the accused and also launched an investigation into the incident.

As informed by the hotel staff, Sharif checked in at the 5-star hotel on August 1 last year and was lodged there till November 20. According to the FIR in the case, the man checked into the hotel with a fake business card of an important functionary of the government of UAE office of His Highness Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed AL Nahyan.

"He also gave a resident card of the United Arab Emirates on arrival. It seems the guest purposely gave these cards to create a false image and garner extra trust with an intent to cheat/deceive the hotel at a later stage," the FIR stated.

"The man had also made a few part settlements in the month of August and September 2022 worth 11.5 lakhs for room charges. The total outstanding still stands at INR 23,48,413 against which he had issued us a post-dated cheque worth INR 20 lakhs due for November 21, 2022, which was duly submitted to our bank on September 22, 2022, but due to insufficient funds, had bounced," read the FIR.

"On November 20, 2022, at around 1 pm, the man fled with hotel valuables. This seems to be completely pre-planned since we were under the impression that by November 22, the hotel will get the dues cleared through the cheque he had submitted," the FIR further read.

Based on the complaint, the Delhi Police registered an FIR on January 13 under sections 419 (Punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), and 380 (Theft in dwelling house, etc) of the Indian Penal Code.