Mumbai Police complaint filed after 30 persons duped on pretext of restaurant reservations

Bhende, in his statement to police, said, “A B Celestial, a floating restaurant was launched with government approval in 2016. It would be near the Bandra Worli Sea Link in the Arabian Sea at Bandra (West).”

The restaurant was operational till 2021 as it shut due Versova Sea Link Coastal Road the construction work and the jetty was also taken over by the government.

But on May 21, Bhende received a call from a person who informed him that he had paid Rs 5,000 to book a table at the floating restaurant.

“The victim had got a number from Google after which he contacted it and a person named Manoj Sharma answered the call. Sharma had sent a QR code to the victim and asked him to pay to book a table at the restaurant,” the complaint read.

Since then, the complainant got calls from more than 30 individuals inquiring about the same issue, following which he approached Bandra police station and lodged a complaint.

The police said that they are yet to arrest anyone in the case as they are trying to locate the suspect through call data records.