Man posing as UAE Royal aide leaves India hotel with nearly $30k unpaid bill

A man is wanted by Indian police after posing as a UAE resident and staffer of the Royal family of Abu Dhabi and leaving a five-star hotel in Delhi without settling outstanding bills amounting to $28, 330 (23 lakh rupees). According to reports, the accused identified as Mahamed Sharif also made off with silverware and a mother-of-pearl tray from the hotel room at the Leela Palace Hotel, where he had been staying for over four months.

Sharif is said to have stayed at the hotel from 1 August to 20 November last year, and left without informing anyone. On Saturday, a case was registered against him on the complaint of the hotel management, reported the Indian Express.

Delhi | A man, Mahamed Sharif, ran off from Leela Palace hotel without settling outstanding bills of Rs 23.46 lakh after staying from Aug 1 to Nov 20,last yr. He checked into hotel with fake business card impersonating as important functionary of UAE govt; he's untraceable:Police

— ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2023

According to the complainant, Sharif told hotel authorities that he lived in the UAE and worked with the office of Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Royal family of Abu Dhabi. Police say he produced a fake business card, UAE resident card and other documents, which are now being checked.

“The guest checked into the hotel with a fake business card and had impersonated as an important functionary of the government of United Arab Emirates,” a police report stated.

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Hotel authorities also claim that the man would often boast about his “work and life with the Royal family of Abu Dhabi” to look “influential” and that he worked with the Sheikh personally, with the reason for his stay in India being official work.

He is said to have paid part of the bill before giving the hotel a cheque which later bounced due to insufficient funds.

“This seems to be completely pre-planned, since we were under the impression that by 22 November 2022, the hotel will get dues cleared through the cheque he had submitted. This clearly signifies that Mr Sharif had malafide intentions and a clear intent to deceive hotel authorities,” the complainant told police.