mumbai

Updated: Oct 13, 2017 11:42 IST

Look suave and use a few old tricks -- this is what a 26-year-old from Ratnagiri did to stay at three five-star hotels near Mumbai’s domestic and international airports without paying bills amounting to Rs1.38 lakh. The man’s fourth such attempt on Tuesday, however, pushed him from his suite straight into a jail.

The accused, Shoaib Modak alias Siraj Modak, reached the hotel on September 29 and said he wanted a room for three days. When the hotel staff asked for money, Modak showed a fake message on his mobile phone stating Rs38,000 has been transferred to their account. Believing him, the staff let him check into the room.

On October 2, Modak told the hotel staff he wanted to extend his stay. On being asked for additional payment, Modak said he would get his ATM card from his room, and fled. Finding it suspicious, the staff checked the hotel’s bank account details and realised Modak hadn’t transferred any money. The bill for his stay had run up to Rs60,000.

The manager spread the word among other hoteliers. Modak then moved into another five-star hotel, but aware of his moves, the staff got him arrested the day he checked in.

During questioning, Modak confessed to using a similar trick at two other hotels. The amount he owed the hotel where he was arrested is not known yet, said police.

An officer from Sahar police station said, “Modak has been booked under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidiation) of IPC. He has been remanded in police custody until October 13.”