A 25-year-old former cricketer, Mrinank Singh, was arrested for his involvement in a series of fraudulent activities, including deceiving prominent luxury hotels, including Taj Palace, and duping cricketer Rishabh Pant to the tune of Rs 1.6 crore. The accused, who reportedly led a lavish lifestyle, was taken into custody at the Delhi Airport while he was attempting to flee to Hong Kong.
According to the Delhi Police, Singh’s modus operandi involved portraying himself as a celebrated cricketer who had played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Additional DCP Ravikant Kumar disclosed that Singh stayed at the Taj Palace for nearly a week in July 2022, piling up a bill of approximately Rs 5.6 lakh. He assured the hotel that his sponsor, Adidas, would settle the charges. However, investigations revealed that the provided bank account details and card information were fabricated, The Indian Express reported.
Singh’s illicit activities extended beyond luxury hotels, as he has also duped cricketer Rishabh Pant by posing as a trader. According to the police, the accused told Pant that he was into the business of buying and selling luxury watches and jewellery. The international cricketer gave him his watches with the motive of selling them. The accused handed Pant a cheque worth Rs 1.6 crore, which subsequently bounced.
The former cricketer’s deceptive tactics included assuming false identities and claiming to be an IPS officer from Karnataka at some hotels. He also presented himself as a successful cricketer, posting images on social media to bolster his fame.
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Police further highlighted that since last year, multiple notices were issued to Singh, which he failed to respond to.
Singh, who claimed to have played the Ranji Trophy in 2021 and the IPL from 2014 to 2018, was eventually detained at the airport on Monday while he was trying to catch a flight to Hong Kong, DCP Ravikant Kumar told The Indian Express.
He allegedly attempted to “influence” immigration officials by posing as an ADGP-rank officer from Karnataka.
The police are presently verifying Singh’s claims regarding his cricketing career and other aspects of his background. Efforts to trace him were complicated by his frequent location changes and phone disconnections.