A man, who posed as a UAE Royal Family staffer, recently throw a 5-star hotel staff into tizzy, by leaving the hotel without paying the Rs 23 lakh bill he owed. The accused had been living in Delhi’s Leela Palace Hotel and had been staying in the prominent hotel for the classes for a shocking period of 4 months! The accused remains absconding, and efforts are on to trace and nab him.
The accused checked into the hotel by posing as a high-level functionary of Office of His Highness Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He also gave his UAE resident card during the check-in.
It should be noted that the accused made settlements worth Rs 11.5 lakhs for room charges and now the outstanding bill stands over Rs 23 lakhs. He issued a post-dated cheque worth Rs 20 lakhs, and the cheque bounced due to insufficient funds.
The Facts of the Matter
Many of us dream of staying at a 5-or-7-star hotel to indulge in the luxury reserved for the one-percenters of the world. While some soak all the luxury when they are put in such hotels during business trips, others simply go on YouTube and watch videos to keep their hopes alive.
Recently, a man from UAE not only lived such a dream, but also ended up fleeing the hotel without paying a bill worth Rs 23 lakhs. The accused reportedly lived at Delhi’s Leela Palace hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in the national capital.
Man Lived at 5-Star Hotel for 4 Months!
According to reports, the accused, identified as Mohammed Sharif, lived at the hotel for a period of August 1 to November 20, 2022, making it four months of indulgence. However, after the hotel didn’t receive the amount of the bill, they filed a complaint against him.
Sharif posed as a high-level functionary of Office of His Highness Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, meaning, an official from UAE’s Royal family. During check-in, he also provided his UAE resident card to establish some credibility and make sure the hotel staff didn’t get suspicious of his intent.
Accused Paid Rs 11.5 Lakhs as Room Charges
It should be noted that the offender did make some part settlements in August and September, worth Rs 11.5 lakhs for room charges. When the total outstanding bill stood at a whopping Rs 23 lakhs, he gave the hotel a post-dated cheque of Rs 20 lakhs, which bounced due to insufficient balance.
A TOI report quoted an excerpt of the complaint which read – “Mr. Shareef had malafide intentions and a clear intent to deceive hotel authorities. This is a clear case of theft, cheating and fraud against The Leela Palace, New Delhi.”
“This seems to be completely pre-planned since we were under the impression that by November 22, 2022, the hotel will get the dues cleared through the cheque he had submitted,” the statement further read.
Accused Decamped Hotel of Valuables
It should be noted that the accused man also decamped the hotel of expensive silverware and other valuables including silver bottle handler, a mother of pearl tray and more. Meanwhile, the police have deployed multiple teams to ascertain the accused’s real occupation and nab him.