NEW DELHI, Jan 22: The Delhi Police have arrested a 41-year-old man who impersonated as an official of the government of the United Arab Emirates and cheated the Leela Palace Hotel in the national capital of over Rs 23 lakhs.
The accused, Mohammed Sharif hailing from Karnataka’s Dakshin Kannada, was arrested from Bengaluru on January 19 and was produced before the court, the Delhi police said on Sunday.
Police said Sharif stayed at the five-star hotel from August 1 to November 20 last year and left without informing anyone. The man also allegedly stole silverware and other items from the hotel room, police said, adding that he owes ₹ 23,46,413 to the hotel. A case was registered against Sharif on the complaint of the hotel management on Saturday.
According to the police, the accused checked into the hotel with a fake business card and impersonated himself as an important functionary of the Government of United Arab Emirates (office of His Highness Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan).
“He also gave a resident card of the United Arab Emirates on his arrival on 1st August 2022. After staying for about 3.5 months, the accused fled from the hotel with hotel valuables and submitted a post-dated cheque worth INR 20 Lakhs, but due to insufficient funds the cheque bounced which clearly signified his malafide intentions and a clear intent to deceive the hotel authorities,” the police said.
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 1st August 2022 and he ran off from the hotel on 20th November 2022 with hotel valuables and without settling his outstanding bills,” the police said.
Multiple teams were deployed to trace and arrest the accused. Manoj C, DCP (Southwest), said, “Based on technical surveillance, the accused was traced and finally apprehended from his residence Bengaluru. He was produced before the court and the matter is being investigated.”
During interrogation, police found that Sharif had lied to hotel staff saying he worked with the office of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi. He had stayed in Abu Dhabi and Dubai for a few months but didn’t work with the royal family. He has stayed in a few hotels in other cities as well. We are contacting the hotel staffers…” said an officer.
(Manas Dasgupta)
