Former Cricketer Arrested for Duping Luxury Hotels and Rishabh Pant of Millions

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police have apprehended a 25-year-old former cricketer on December 25 for allegedly defrauding multiple luxury hotels, including the prestigious Taj Palace, of lakhs of rupees. The accused, identified as Mrinank Singh, deceived the Taj Palace in Delhi by evading a payment of Rs 5.5 lakh in July 2022. Additionally, Singh managed to swindle cricketer Rishabh Pant of a whopping Rs 1.63 crore between 2020 and 2021.

The accused, who was known for leading a luxurious lifestyle, was apprehended at the Delhi Airport while attempting to flee to Hong Kong. According to the Delhi Police, Singh’s modus operandi involved impersonating a celebrated cricketer who had played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also claimed to have participated in the Ranji Trophy in 2021 and the IPL from 2014 to 2018.

Singh exploited his false identity to create an illusion of popularity, enabling him to influence people, dine at high-end restaurants, and stay at five-star hotels without settling the bills.

The Taj Hotel Scam

Singh’s arrest came after the Director of Security at the Taj Palace Hotel filed a complaint with the Chanakyapuri police station in August. The complaint stated that Singh had posed as a cricketer and stayed at the hotel from July 22-29, 2022, but left without paying a bill of Rs 5,53,362. When approached for payment, Singh claimed that his company Adidas would settle the amount and provided a fake UTR number for a supposed online transaction worth Rs two lakh. However, upon checking the system, the hotel discovered that no payment had been made. The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ravi Kant Kumar, confirmed the incident.

Efforts to contact Mrinank Singh through his address proved futile as he could not be reached. The accused’s father informed the police that they had disowned and evicted Singh from their properties due to their lack of control over his actions.

Rishabh Pant’s Deception

In addition to duping luxury hotels, Mrinank Singh also targeted cricketer Rishabh Pant by assuming the role of a trader. According to the police, Singh convinced Pant that he operated a business specializing in buying and selling luxury watches and jewelry. Taking advantage of Pant’s trust, Singh persuaded the cricketer to hand over his watches for sale. Singh then issued Pant a check for a staggering amount of Rs 1.6 crore, which ultimately bounced.

In a previous interview with Sports Tak in 2022, Pant’s lawyer, Eklavya Dwivedi, disclosed that Singh had approached the cricketer, claiming he had initiated a new venture dealing with luxury items and could provide them at a significantly reduced cost.

Pretending to be an IPS Officer

During his detention at the IGI Airport, Singh attempted to deceive immigration officials by posing as Alok Kumar, ADGP Karnataka. He contacted senior police officials, seeking their assistance in what he claimed was the illegal detention of his son, Mrinank Singh, at the airport.

Throughout the interrogation, Mrinank Singh persistently attempted to mislead the police by asserting that his “father,” Ashok Kumar Singh, was an international cricket player who represented the Indian cricket team from the 1980s to the late 90s. Singh further informed the police that his “father” currently served as a manager at Air India, stationed at the IGI Airport. Authorities are presently verifying Singh’s claims regarding his alleged cricketing career and other aspects of his background.