Nagpur: Bajaj Nagar Police have registered a cheating case against three persons for allegedly staying at a four-star hotel for two days and using a fake PhonePe payment screenshot to avoid paying a bill of ₹37,497.

According to the FIR, the complainant, Sudhakarrao Salve Ghangare (36), Front Office Manager at Enrise by Sayaji in Bajaj Nagar, stated that the accused checked into Rooms 402 and 406 and availed accommodation, meals and other hotel services for two days.

The accused have been identified as Siddharth Anil Pohare (32), a resident of Ajana Nagar, Gangakhed in Parbhani district, along with Vikas and Sagar Arvind Dake (20).

Police said that after their stay, the hotel generated a bill of ₹37,497. The accused allegedly claimed that they had transferred ₹50,000 through PhonePe and shared a screenshot of the transaction as proof of payment.

However, hotel staff later discovered that the amount had never been credited to the hotel’s bank account. When the complainant contacted the primary accused seeking clarification, he allegedly gave evasive replies and failed to clear the outstanding dues.

Based on the complaint, Bajaj Nagar Police registered an offence under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.

Police suspect the accused intentionally used a forged digital payment screenshot to deceive the hotel and obtain services without making the actual payment. An investigation has been launched to verify the digital transaction records and trace the accused’s financial trail.