Delhi: Man poses as UAE royal staff; flees 5-star hotel without paying Rs 23-lakh bill
The individual, identified as Mohammed Sharif, departed the five-star hotel without paying a bill totalling more than Rs 23 lakhs. He checked into a hotel using a forged business card, impersonating an important government official in the UAE, according to the media report.
FollowDelhi police are searching for a man who allegedly cheated the Leela Palace hotel in Delhi by posing as a member of the UAE royal family and staying there for more than three months. The individual, identified as Mohammed Sharif, departed the five-star hotel without paying a bill totalling more than Rs 23 lakhs. Sharif informed hotel staff that he worked for Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal. According to media reports, he checked into a hotel using a forged business card, impersonating an important government official in the UAE.
Additionally, he told the hotel staff that he worked with the Sheikh personally and is currently in India for some official work. On Saturday, Sharif was charged with fraud and theft after the Leela Palace hotel management filed a complaint.
The accused stayed at the central Delhi hotel from August 1 to November 20, then abruptly left. He also allegedly stole many silverware and other items from the room.
The man also showed a business card, a UAE resident card, and other documents to convince the hotel staff that he was a foreign national. The accused total cost at The Leela Palace was nearly Rs 35 lakh; however, he only paid Rs 11.5 lakh before leaving.
Following the media report, police said, "Mohammed Sharif fled the Leela Palace hotel without paying his outstanding bills of Rs 23.46 lakh after staying there from August 1 to November 20, last year. He checked into the hotel with a forged business card, posing as an important government official from the UAE. He's currently untraceable."
The Delhi Police are investigating CCTV cameras installed at the Leela Palace to identify the suspect.
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