Guest spends 603 nights at five-star Indian hotel ‘without paying’

Roseate House hotel

Indian police are investigating a suspected fraudster who spent nearly two years in a five-star hotel without paying, local media have said.

Ankush Dutta booked a room at Roseate House hotel in Delhi on 30 May 2019 and was supposed to check out the next day. But he extended his stay for 603 nights until 22 January 2021, leaving behind unpaid bills of $70,000 (£55,000).

“Accounts were falsified to conceal the actual outstanding dues,” the police complaint read, quoted by the Indian Express newspaper.

Hotel managers also filed a police complaint against several employees for conspiracy, forgery and cheating, with officials saying they suspected staff members were bribed to manipulate in-house software systems.

Roseate House management could not immediately be reached for comment.