For 36 years, Bingson John, a 69-year-old man from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, led an unusual life that swung between break-ins and jail cells. He stayed at about 300 luxury hotels across the country without paying, presenting himself as a foreign tour guide, English teacher or yoga instructor. John enjoyed the lavish rooms and hotel services and then disappeared just before checkout. The long string of scams has now come to an end, according to reports in India Today, The Times of India and other Indian news outlets.
The so-called “hotel conman” was arrested in the city of Bhubaneswar about 72 hours after the Hyatt Raipur filed a complaint against him. According to suspicions, John stayed at the hotel between June 25 and June 27. Just before disappearing, he asked staff for a laptop, claiming he needed to complete urgent work. He left without paying a bill of 63,755 rupees (about $740) and took the laptop with him, valued at about 148,000 rupees (about $1,700).
For 36 years, Bingson John led an unusual life that swung between break-ins and jail cells
After the hotel’s attempts to contact him failed, a complaint was filed with police. A joint investigation by cyber and local crime units traced the documents and phone numbers the suspect provided at check-in. Using technological surveillance, he was located, arrested and the stolen laptop was returned to the hotel.
During questioning, in which he cooperated without hesitation, John revealed a criminal history spanning more than 10 states in India since 1990. He told investigators he drew inspiration from serial killer and international con artist Charles Sobhraj, whose story was the basis for the hit Netflix series “The Serpent.”
Hyatt Raipur, the last stop of the "hotel conman":
According to him, his life changed in the early 1990s after his fiancée died, which led him to abandon marriage plans and turn to fraud. His first arrest was in 1996 and since then he has spent about 15 years behind bars, including in the notorious Tihar Jail where he mingled with serious criminals.
Investigators said John showed no remorse and even offered a lighthearted definition of his lifestyle. Bingson said that he treated jails as “home” and luxury hotels as “vacation", adding that he prefers to eat only in those two places. Police are now working to verify his claims and compile all criminal cases pending against him across the country.