69-year-old defrauded 300+ luxury hotels across India in 36 years, arrested

Raipur,UPDATED: Jul 3, 2026 16:29 IST

A 69-year-old man from Tamil Nadu, arrested for allegedly defrauding more than 300 luxury hotels across India over the past three decades, told investigators that he drew inspiration from serial killer Charles Sobhraj and adopted similar methods of deception, the Raipur Police said on Tuesday.

The accused, Bingson John, was arrested in Bhubaneswar following a complaint from a five-star hotel in Raipur.

According to the police, John allegedly targeted premium hotels by posing as a foreign tour guide, English teacher or yoga instructor to gain the confidence of hotel staff. After availing luxury accommodation and other hotel services, he would allegedly leave without settling his bills and, in some cases, steal hotel property.

HOW THE ACCUSED WAS CAUGHT

The latest case was registered on a complaint filed by the Hyatt Hotel in Raipur. Police said John checked into the hotel on June 25 and left on the morning of June 27 without completing the checkout process. He allegedly failed to pay an outstanding bill of Rs 63,755 and also took away a laptop worth around Rs 1.48 lakh that had been provided to him on request.

After repeated attempts to contact him failed, the hotel management approached the police. Based on the complaint, the Telibandha Police registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation was carried out jointly by the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit and the Telibandha Police.

Police said technical analysis of the documents and mobile numbers provided by the accused led investigators to Bhubaneswar, where he was apprehended.

INSPIRED BY CHARLES SHOBRAJ

According to the police, the accused also told investigators that he had been influenced by Indian-French serial killer Charles Sobhraj and subsequently adopted similar methods of deception, assuming different professional identities to target luxury hotels across the country.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted to targeting more than 300 hotels across the country since 1990. Police claimed that criminal cases have been registered against him in more than 10 states, including several metropolitan cities.

Investigators further alleged that John had spent over 15 years in different prisons, including Tihar Jail, where he reportedly came into contact with several notorious criminals.

A laptop allegedly belonging to the hotel has been recovered from the accused's possession. Further investigation is underway.

- Ends