Engineer held: Stayed at hotel in Lucknow with woman, didn’t clear Rs 3-lakh bill, says Mumbai police

The accused has been booked under relevant sections of cheating and impersonation. He was produced in court and remanded in police custody till May 25.

A case was registered by the general manager of the hotel with Hazratganj police station after Rizvi and his accomplice failed to clear bills running up to Rs 3.04 lakh in 2016. (Representational)

Asad Rizvi, the 43-year-old engineer arrested for allegedly cheating an NGO worker of Rs 3 lakh and several others by posing as an IB or ED officer, stayed at a plush hotel in Lucknow by claiming to be the son of the Gorakhpur district magistrate, police said.

The accused allegedly stayed at the hotel with a woman accomplice, who is on the run, police added. A case was registered by the general manager of the hotel with Hazratganj police station after Rizvi and his accomplice failed to clear bills running up to Rs 3.04 lakh in 2016.

Police said the accused had given a cheque for Rs 3.04 lakh to the hotel, which allegedly bounced. “Rizvi allegedly introduced himself to the hotel’s owner as the Gorakhpur district magistrate’s son. He didn’t pay for his stay and fled. After he was caught, he handed them a cheque which bounced,” a police officer said.

“The accused would immediately withdraw the entire amount or transfer the money, he received fraudulently by cheating people, to apparently relatives’ accounts because despite seizing his bank accounts, we have not been able to recover the money,” he added.

Rizvi is believed to have duped several people, including a Dubai-based investor of Rs 9 crore. The accused has been booked under relevant sections of cheating and impersonation. He was produced in court and remanded in police custody till May 25.

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