Who is Mrinank Singh, the conman who duped Rishabh Pant and Taj Palace Delhi of crores?

A 25-year-old former cricketer, Mrinank Singh, on December 25 was apprehended by the Delhi Police for a string of frauds, including duping Indian wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant and the Taj Palace hotel in the capital.

According to the police, the 'luxury conman', who allegedly played for Haryana U-19, laid an intricate web of lies and tricks and is being questioned after he was arrested while trying to flee to Hong Kong.

Luxury hotel scam

• Mrinank Singh's modus operandi involved posing as Karnataka's Additional Director General of Police, Alok Kumar, to dupe luxury hotels.
• His most notorious exploit was at the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi, where he managed to evade a bill of Rs 5.5 lakh in July 2022.
• A Taj Palace official revealed, "He claimed Adidas would settle the bill, but it was all a ruse."
• The bill was never paid.

Cricket connection

• Allegedly having played for the Haryana Under-19 team and boasting about his stint with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Mrinank also targeted cricketer Rishabh Pant in 2022.
• Pant's lawyer Eklavya Dwivedi told Sports Today, "Mrinank promised luxury items at reasonable costs, leading to a financial loss of Rs 1.63 crore for Pant."

The lies

• During his arrest at the IGI Airport on December 25, Mrinank attempted to deceive immigration officials by calling up senior police officials, posing as Alok Kumar and seeking assistance for his "illegally detained son Mrinank Singh".
• The police dismantled the facade, revealing a history of false claims. Turns out, Mrinank had also claimed that his father Ashok Kumar Singh was an international cricketer and was presently employed with Air India at the Delhi international airport - all false.
• Mrinank's deceit extended beyond hotels and cricketers.
• Delhi Police said that he targeted various entities, like bars, restaurants, cab drivers, and even young girls.
• His tactics broadly involved fabricating affiliations with the Mumbai Indians and Karnataka Police.
• Police investigations also unearthed Mrinank's obsession with a lavish lifestyle, involving stays at five-star hotels, partying with models, and extensive overseas travel.
• A police official said, his phone contained "objectionable content", indicating an unhealthy fixation with models.

Family's reaction

• According to police, Mrinank's father informed them that they had severed ties with him, disclaiming any control or responsibility over his actions.

What next

• Facing multiple FIRs across states, Mrinank Singh has been remanded to police custody for two days.
• Authorities anticipate additional complainants to step forward, who would shed light on the extent of his frauds.
• "We are investigating all his claims, including his cricketing background and academic achievements," said a police spokesperson.