Man flees without paying Rs 12 lakh hotel bill in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A man, who stayed in a star hotel in Hyderabad for over 100 days, allegedly fled without paying the Rs 12.34 lakh bill, the police said on Saturday.

Acting on a complaint lodged by the management of Taj Banjara hotel, the police registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against A. Shankar Narayan, said to be a businessman from Visakhapatnam.

According to the hotel management, the man stayed in a luxury suite for 102 days. After paying Rs 13.62 lakh out of his total bill of Rs 25.96 lakh, the man allegedly left the hotel in April this year without informing anyone.

The hotel staff then contacted the man who promised to clear the remaining bill. However, he later switched off his phone after which the hotel manager approached the Banjara Hills police station to lodge a complaint.

"We have registered a case on the complaint by the hotel management and launched investigations," Sub-Inspector P. Ravi told IANS.

The businessman has reportedly claimed that he had checked out of the hotel after settling the bill. Alleging that his reputation was being tarnished, Narayan said that he was contemplating legal action against the hotel.