3 arrested for duping club in Grand Hyatt of ₹9 lakh

The club authorities then found that a few of the screenshots of payments were fake, and the money was never deposited in the account. Based on the fake screenshots, the authorities kept a watch on the bookings done through the same mobile numbers on Valentine’s Day.

MUMBAI: The police on Thursday arrested three out of four men from Pune accused of cheating a dancing club, Toy Room, at a five-star hotel in Santacruz East of ₹9.20 lakh on Valentine’s Day.

Grand Hyatt (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

The four accused are Omkar Sanjay Darekar, 21, Aarya Annasaheb Patil, 23, Amar Amol Tamhane, 22, and Aditya Yadav, 20. The accused have been charged with conspiracy and cheating for sending the club fake screenshots of the amount paid for their advance booking through a mobile payment app.

According to the police, the manager of the club, Rahul Prabhu, approached the police after he found some discrepancies in their account. Prabbu, who stays in Worli, told the police that the club was in Hotel Grand Hyatt and was under the management of Campbell Lounges & Beverages Pvt Ltd. with its office in Delhi. The club is open every weekend and on special occasions when patrons book the tables and pay in advance.

A few days ago, going through the accounts from November 2023, the finance manager compared screenshots sent to them and found that the amounts involved in some of the transactions were not reflected in their bank account. The club authorities then found that a few of the screenshots of payments were fake, and the money was never deposited in the account.

Based on the fake screenshots, the authorities kept a watch on the bookings done through the same mobile numbers on Valentine’s Day. The club authorities said that on Wednesday they received bookings from the same mobile numbers for certain tables.

Based on the phone booking, an amount of ₹9.20 lakh was shown transferred to the account of the club, and screenshots were sent from four mobile numbers, which allegedly belonged to the four accused. Police said that on the eight tables, 19 people, including 13 women ordered drinks. On checking the account, the cashier of the club, Vivek Kumar, found that the amount of ₹9.20 lakh shown paid by the men was not reflected in their bank account and suspected that they had sent fake screenshots.

After realising that they had been cheated, the club authorities approached the police and registered a case under sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

“Based on the complaint of the club authorities, we have arrested three men from Pune and will produce them before the court,” said Prakash Khandekar, senior police inspector of Vakola police station. The police are now trying to trace their fourth accomplice and are finding out whether the men had cheated any other club or establishment.