NEW DELHI: A 25-year-old cricketer-turnedconman, who pretended to be an IPS officer from Karnataka to stay at luxury hotels like the Taj Palace, and had also allegedly duped Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant of more than Rs 1.6 crores was nabbed at Delhi Airport and subsequently placed under arrest.
The accused, identified as Mrinank Singh, a resident of Faridabad in Haryana, was once part of the under-19 cricket for Haryana.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police-I (New Delhi) Ravi Kant Kumar said a complaint was received on August 22 last year from Taj Palace Hotel alleging that a person named Mrinank Singh, who presented himself as a cricketer and stayed at their hotel for a week, ultimately left without settling his bill worth Rs 5.53 lakh.
“When the hotel staff asked for payment, he told them that his company Adidas would make it. He was contacted several times to clear the outstanding payments but every time, they made false statements and promises and always provided wrong information,” the senior officer said.
Based on the hotel’s complaint, a case of cheating was registered and during the investigation, a notice under section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was sent to the address of the accused Mrinank Singh but he was not found present there.
“His father informed the police that they had evicted and disowned their son from their properties as they do not have any control over his actions,” the officer said, adding efforts were made to locate the accused but there was little success without any available leads to apprehend him.
Subsequently, a non-bailable warrant was issued by a court and a lookout circular was also issued to apprehend him in case he attempts to fly out of the country or attempts to discreetly emigrate from India.
The police official said the accused was detained at the Delhi Airport on December 25 while he was trying to fly to Hong Kong.
According to the official, during his detention at IGI Airport, the conman yet again made another attempt to influence immigration officials by pretending to make phone calls to police officials posing as Alok Kumar IPS, ADGP Karnataka. However, this time, the police were already aware of his antiquities. Subsequently, he was arrested.
During interrogation, he revealed that he has duped multiple luxury resorts and hotels of lakhs of rupees by posing as ADGP, Karnataka and on several occasions as an IPL cricketer to influence them and stay for multiple days and leave without clearing their dues, under false premises, saying the payment will be made later. From the prima facie analysis of his mobile phone, it was revealed that there are multiple victims of his fraud and impersonation and the defrauded amount runs into several lakhs.
His victims include hotels, bars, restaurants, young girls, cab drivers, and small eating outlets among others.
“Cricketer Rishabh Pant was also conned by him to the tune of Rs 1.63 crore in 2020-2021. Initial analysis of his mobile phone revealed his acquaintance with young female models and contains multiple videos and photographs, among which some are highly objectionable,” the DCP said.
Detained on Dec 25 trying to flee to Hong Kong
The police official said the accused was detained at the Delhi Airport on December 25 while he was trying to fly to Hong Kong According to the official, during his detention at IGI Airport, the conman yet again made another attempt to influence immigration officials by making phone calls to police officials posing as Alok Kumar IPS, ADGP Karnataka. However, this time, the police were on to his antiques. Subsequently, he was handed over to the police and arrested.