India: Conman who impersonated GCC royal family staff arrested after racking up bills in five-star hotel

A man, who impersonated as an official of a GCC government was arrested for allegedly duping a hotel in the national capital by fleeing without paying his outstanding bill worth over Rs2 million, Delhi Police said.

The man identified as Mahamed Sharif (41), hailing from Karnataka's Dakshin Kannada, presented a fake business card and stayed at the hotel for nearly three months last year, according to the police.

He fled with hotel valuables and without settling his outstanding bills causing a huge loss to the hotel worth Rs 2,346,413.

Following the incident, the police registered the FIR on January 14 this year at Sarojini Nagar police station at the complaint of Anupam Das Gupta who claimed to be the General Manager of the hotel.

"A case under sections 419/420/380 IPC was registered at PS Sarojini Nagar on the complaint of Anupam Das Gupta who alleged that he is the General Manager of The Leela Hotel Palace, Sarojini Nagar, Delhi and the accused person namely Mahamed Sharif stayed at The Leela Palace, New Delhi from August 1, 2022 and he ran off from the hotel on November 20, 2022 with hotel valuables and without settling his outstanding bills," the police said.

• India: Conman poses as Arab royal family staff, flees 5-star hotel without paying Dh100,000 bill