Bingson John arrested for scamming 300+ luxury hotels in India
A 69-year-old from Tamil Nadu, Bingson John, has been arrested after scamming more than 300 luxury hotels across India over the past three decades.
He would pose as a foreign tour guide or yoga instructor to win staff trust and stay for free, sometimes even making off with valuables like a laptop worth ₹1.48 lakh.
Police tracked Bingson John to Bhubaneswar
John's latest scheme unraveled at Raipur's Hyatt Hotel, where he checked in but skipped out on a bill of ₹63,755 and didn't return a borrowed laptop.
Police tracked him down in Bhubaneswar using details from his check-in documents and phone numbers.
Bingson John admitted following Charles Sobhraj
During questioning, John admitted he took cues from notorious criminal Charles Sobhraj.
Authorities say he has cases registered in more than 10 states and has spent over 15 years behind bars, including time at Tihar Jail.
Investigations are still ongoing to uncover more about his tricks.