MH-FATHER-SON-ARRESTS

A father-son duo were arrested

for allegedly posing as hotel guests and escaping without

paying bills after dining there, police said Monday.

The two were nabbed after staff at a five-star hotel

in Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai alerted police Saturday, an

official said.

He identified the two as 57-year-old Suhas Nerlekar

and son Swapnil (32), both residents of Kandivali East.

Explaining the modus operandi, the official said,

"They used to book rooms in posh hotels after introducing

themselves as businessmen. Before collecting the keys of their

rooms, the two would have dinner at the hotel and then sneak

away without paying the bill."

On Saturday, a hotel staffer stopped them while they

were making an exit and asked them to pay the bill, he said.

"They were detained as they did not have any money.

The police was called in and we arrested the duo under section

420 (cheating) of the IPC," the Cuffe Parade police station

official added.

He said the accused have reportedly cheated hotels in

Colaba and Santa Cruz similarly.