A man from Guwahati allegedly conspired with hotel staff to stay at a five-star hotel in Delhi's Aerocity for over two years without paying a bill of Rs 58 lakh. The hotel management became aware of the situation during a routine review of records, prompting them to file a complaint against the guest and several staff members accused of assisting him in the fraudulent scheme. The accused manipulated records to conceal the actual outstanding dues and avoid detection of their illegal activities. A case has been registered against the accused under various sections, including cheating and criminal conspiracy.
In an astonishing case, a man from Guwahati managed to stay at a five-star hotel in Delhi's Aerocity for over two years without paying a single penny. The guest, identified as Ankush Dutta, initially checked into the hotel in May 2019 with the intention of staying only overnight. However, he continued his stay for an unprecedented 603 days, accumulating a bill of Rs 58 lakh. The hotel management became aware of the situation during a routine review of records, prompting them to file a complaint against Dutta and several staff members accused of assisting him in the fraudulent scheme.
The complaint alleges that Prem Prakash, the head of the hotel's Front Office Department, authorized Dutta's extended stay, violating hotel norms. Prakash had access to the hotel's computer system, which allowed him to track guests' dues and decide on room rates. It is alleged that he deliberately concealed Dutta's outstanding bill from senior management. The hotel's board filed an FIR, accusing the staff of forging, deleting, adding, and falsifying entries in Dutta's account in the hotel's Opera software system, which is used to monitor guests' stays and accounts. These manipulations were intended to hide the actual outstanding dues and avoid detection of their illegal activities.
According to the hotel management, Dutta repeatedly extended his stay beyond the initial day he was supposed to check out. He finally left on January 22, 2021, without settling his bill. Prakash, responsible for maintaining accounts and bills of outstanding dues, allegedly withheld details from senior management. Hotel rules dictate that if a guest owes Rs 50,000 or more, staff members must inform their superiors and urge the guest to make payment. However, in Dutta's case, this protocol was not followed. It is believed that Prakash manipulated records and removed Dutta's name from daily reports that listed his bills.
Police suspect that Prakash used his credentials to log into the system and alter records. It was discovered that Dutta was not charged for at least 52 nights. The motive behind the extensive forgery and falsification of Dutta's accounts was to divert cash payments made by him. Police are also investigating previous stays by Dutta, during which he allegedly made cash payments.
The scrutiny of hotel officials' records revealed multiple instances of creating fake pending bills to benefit Dutta. These included removing room nights from his bills, transferring his debits to other guests' bills, and incorporating his name into settled bills of other guests. Dutta and the implicated staff members employed various tactics to evade payment, such as deleting entries, forging reports, providing counterfeit receipts and checks ranging from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, and misusing the hotel's electronic system.
A case has been registered against Dutta, Prakash, and other staff members under various sections, including cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and forgery. Prakash will be questioned by the police, and notices have been sent to other hotel staffers involved in the alleged fraud.
The incident highlights the need for enhanced security measures and diligent monitoring of guest accounts to prevent similar fraudulent activities in the future. Hotel establishments should review their protocols and systems to ensure that such incidents are detected promptly, preventing significant financial losses.
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