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MUMBAI: At least 35 people were duped after they made advance payment online dreaming of spending luxurious time with their loved ones at Mumbai’s first floating hotel – AB Celestial’. Bandra police said people transferred money towards booking without knowing the fact that the Floatel hotel which was located at the Maharashtra Maritime Board’s (MB) jetty in the backdrop of the iconic Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) has closed its service since April 2021 during the pandemic Covid-19 outbreak.
The first information report was registered on Tuesday with the Bandra police station after Chetan Bhende, Managing Director and CEO of the hotel, repeatedly received calls since May this year inquiring about the booking that was done by the customers. “Fraudsters have replaced the contact details of AB Celestial on Google Business with their mobile numbers. Customers were unaware that the Floatel service had been stopped due to Covid and later due to the Coastal Road Work,” said a police officer of the Bandra police station.
Each customer from across the city and the states has paid Rs5000 towards booking to spend time and party at the Floatel hotel. Without knowing the service was closed. In the complaint, Bhende said: “On May 21, I received a call from Raj Rangani informing me that he has paid Rs5000 advance payment to one Manoj Sharma towards the booking. However, he found out that there was no such Floatel at the mentioned address when he visited the place.”
Bhende informed Rangani that the services had been stopped in April 2021 and they were supposed to start it in 2022 when the Versova Coastal Road work began and the plan to restart the Floatel was temporarily shelled. “However, Bhended continuously got calls and around 35 people called him between May and December to get confirmation about the payment they had made towards booking on floatel. Finally, Bhended filed the complaint as the number of victims has gone up,” said the police.
A case under the Indian Penal Code section 419 (impersonation) and IT Act section 66 (C) (identity theft) has been registered against unknown persons.
The AB Celestial was located close to the Skyway Bridge Link Road and is a floating restaurant and dance bar India’s First Luxury Dining Yacht Restaurant, Banquet, and Rooftop Bar which is currently closed was established in 2016. The State Government supported the Floatel to encourage and support innovative concepts to bolster tourism potential in the city.
The first information report was registered on Tuesday with the Bandra police station after Chetan Bhende, Managing Director and CEO of the hotel, repeatedly received calls since May this year inquiring about the booking that was done by the customers. “Fraudsters have replaced the contact details of AB Celestial on Google Business with their mobile numbers. Customers were unaware that the Floatel service had been stopped due to Covid and later due to the Coastal Road Work,” said a police officer of the Bandra police station.
Each customer from across the city and the states has paid Rs5000 towards booking to spend time and party at the Floatel hotel. Without knowing the service was closed. In the complaint, Bhende said: “On May 21, I received a call from Raj Rangani informing me that he has paid Rs5000 advance payment to one Manoj Sharma towards the booking. However, he found out that there was no such Floatel at the mentioned address when he visited the place.”
Bhende informed Rangani that the services had been stopped in April 2021 and they were supposed to start it in 2022 when the Versova Coastal Road work began and the plan to restart the Floatel was temporarily shelled. “However, Bhended continuously got calls and around 35 people called him between May and December to get confirmation about the payment they had made towards booking on floatel. Finally, Bhended filed the complaint as the number of victims has gone up,” said the police.
A case under the Indian Penal Code section 419 (impersonation) and IT Act section 66 (C) (identity theft) has been registered against unknown persons.
The AB Celestial was located close to the Skyway Bridge Link Road and is a floating restaurant and dance bar India’s First Luxury Dining Yacht Restaurant, Banquet, and Rooftop Bar which is currently closed was established in 2016. The State Government supported the Floatel to encourage and support innovative concepts to bolster tourism potential in the city.
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