Bengaluru police book OYO CEO Ritesh Agarwal for allegedly cheating hotelier
Bengaluru: The Whitefield police in Bengaluru have booked hotel chain OYO Hotels and Homes’ CEO and founder Ritesh Agarwal for cheating and criminal breach of trust following a complaint by a city-based hotelier. Along with Ritesh, two other OYO representatives Anand Reddy and Prathik Singh, too, have been booked in the case.
In his complaint, Natarajan, owner of Rajguru Shelter Hotels alleged that the company violated an agreement of taking only 20% commission from each reservation and in the process cheated him to the tune of Rs 1 crore. The agreement between Rajguru Shelter Hotels and OYO was drawn in February 2017.
The three have been booked under sections 34 (common intent), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. The Whitefield police refused to comment on the matter as it is still under investigation.
Responding to the FIR, an OYO spokesperson denied any wrongdoing and said the company will not comment on the specifics of the matter as it is sub judice.
“We strongly refute the claims made in the complaint that has been wrongfully filed against our Founder and two other office bearers, basis false claims and exaggeration on a regular commercial dispute… Our lawyers are looking into the matter and will be taking strong legal action as these claims are incorrect and defamatory in nature,” OYO said in a statement on Friday.
In July, TNM had reported how many hotel operators felt the company is hurting their businesses.
“OYO has been cheating the hotel owners by using various gimmicks and arm-twisting tactics, which has resulted in huge losses for hotel owners and has disrupted the hotel industry and market,” Pradeep Shetty, a committee member of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), had told TNM then.
Courtesy: www.thenewsminute.com
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Purported sleazy videos case: Action on suspended DGP after dept inquiry, says Home Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said that the government will decide on further action against the now-suspended DGP K Ramachandra Rao based on recommendations following a departmental inquiry into a case concerning videos purportedly showing him behaving obscenely with women in his office.
The minister's comments followed reports that the special probe committee has ruled out Rao's claims that the clips were fake and AI-generated.
"After further departmental inquiry, whatever they recommend, the government will decide based on that. The department has to give a report to the government, and based on the recommendation made, we will take a decision," Parameshwara told reporters here in response to a question.
Since Rao claimed the circulating videos were fake AI creations, they were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), the minister said in response to a question.
"A team was formed in the department to find the truth. They have submitted a report to the department. The department will have to inform the government about the same, based on which further action will be taken," he added.
The state government had formed a team of four IPS officers, led by R Hitendra, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order), to conduct a preliminary inquiry in the case.
The government in January suspended Rao, the 1993-batch IPS officer serving as the DGP, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE), after viral videos purportedly showing him acting in an obscene manner surfaced.
The videos purportedly show the 59-year-old hugging and kissing women while in office. He was wearing a police uniform in a few videos. Rao had, however, called the videos "fabricated" and vowed to take legal action.
There were even reports that the videos were shot in 2016-17 inside the office of the Inspector General of Police - Belagavi range.
