NAGPUR: Pratapnagar Police have booked two former employees of Hotel Radisson Blu in Nagpur for allegedly misappropriating approximately ₹5.5 lakh from customer payments by abusing their official positions over a span of nearly seven months.
The complaint was filed by Manoj Shriramprasad Bali (66), General Manager of Hotel Radisson Blu, Wardha Road, and a resident of Somalwada. According to the FIR, the fraudulent scheme was carried out between August 23, 2023, and March 18, 2024, by two staffers — Shubham Laxman Gera (27), who served as a front office executive, and Ayush Dulichand Tembhare (25), a former room service attendant.
How the Payment Diversion Was Executed
As detailed in the complaint, Ayush Tembhare allegedly collected payments directly from guests at the hotel but redirected the funds into his personal bank account rather than the hotel’s official account. These payments were charged as per the prescribed hotel tariffs, giving no suspicion to the guests.
Simultaneously, Shubham Gera reportedly used his system privileges at the front desk to access the hotel’s billing software. He would then apply unauthorised discounts to the original bills and process these transactions using Tembhare’s debit card. The two would subsequently divide the discounted difference between themselves, leading to a cumulative loss of around ₹5.5 lakh to the hotel.
The alleged fraud went undetected until a routine internal audit revealed discrepancies. A detailed inquiry followed, resulting in the formal lodging of a police complaint.
Legal Action and Investigation
Based on Bali’s complaint, Pratapnagar Police have registered a case under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. PSI Gundre has been assigned to lead the investigation.
Authorities are now probing whether other individuals within the hotel staff or additional transactions are linked to the fraudulent operation. No arrests have been made yet, and further inquiries are ongoing.