Varanasi: A man from Odisha has been accused of defrauding a luxury hotel in Varanasi of over ₹2 lakh by staying and dining for four days before leaving without paying the bill, the police said.

The management of Hotel Taj Ganges filed a complaint with the police, alleging that the man, identified as Sarthak Sanjay, is absconding. The hotel has demanded swift action to recover the unpaid amount.

According to the complaint lodged by hotel manager Rikhi Mukherjee, the accused checked into a luxury room on October 14 and stayed until October 18.

During his stay, Sanjay reportedly incurred charges of ₹1,67,796 for the room and ₹36,750 for food, totalling ₹2,04,521.

When hotel staff attempted to contact Sanjay after his sudden disappearance, they found his mobile phone switched off. A search of the room he occupied revealed only a few pieces of clothing, the complaint stated.

Mukherjee provided the police with the accused's contact details and address as listed during his check-in.

An FIR has been registered while a senior police officer said that a manhunt is underway to trace the accused.