HC judge files case against 5-star club

Justice Surya Kant said in the first information report that he received a letter from Fountain Club at Nikko in March along with a membership card.

In the letter, the complaint said, the club management stated they were offering Justice Kant the membership and enclosed a receipt of Rs 5,000, which they said they would bill to his American Express card.

The judge who was ‘‘surprised and shocked’’ wrote back to the club management that he had never applied for it and asked them to withdraw the membership. ‘‘But there was no response from the club management,’’ the first information report lodged on his behalf by his private secretary Dinesh Gupta said.

Kant again wrote to the club management on April 25 asking them to sort out the issue or face legal action. The club did not respond, says the FIR.

A few days later, the FIR says, the judge came to know that the American Express Bank in Connaught Place had raised a bill towards the membership fee of Fountain Club at Metropolitan Nikko. On May 14, his secretary filed the FIR.

Kant suspects details of his American Express card might have been leaked from another hotel where he had taken a membership about seven years ago. ‘‘The membership of that club had expired in 2001. It appears that the Fountain Club management has managed to access details of my card from there,’’ Justice Kant alleged in the FIR.

Senior police officers investigating the case said they were questioning the management of Fountain club and were also trying to ascertain how the club withdrew money without the consent of the complainant. ‘‘The club management is claiming that the judge had given his consent for finalising the membership. We are verifying technical details,’’ said a police officer.

Hotel Metropolitan Nikko, when contacted today, refused to comment. ‘‘We would like to have all the details before commenting on the issue,’’ said a senior official.