Varanasi: The general manager and three other employees of a hotel on Mall Road, under the Cantt police station area, have allegedly absconded after embezzling Rs 1.71 crore from the hotel’s daily collections, according to a complaint filed by the management.The alleged fraud came to light after the hotel owner, on the advice of his chartered accountant, noticed a major discrepancy between the monthly deposits and the actual collection figures. The owner subsequently lodged an FIR against the four accused.Acting on a complaint submitted by Tarun Kumar Dixit, adviser to the hotel director, Cantt inspector Raj Kishore Pandey said police registered an FIR against the hotel’s general manager, Sandeep Patyal of Himachal Pradesh, finance manager Anupam Singh, cashier Kaushal Kishor Singh and HR manager Pradeep Kumar Tiwari. The four have been booked on charges of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating, forgery and criminal intimidation. Further investigation has been initiated, he added.The complaint mentioned that the top management had been noticing monetary irregularities for some time, as the amount deposited in the bank did not match the hotel’s cash records. When questioned, staff members allegedly cited a technical fault in the software. The management then asked a chartered accountant to verify the cash balance and records.The audit found that as of March 31, 2026, the hotel should have had Rs 2,06,72,991 in cash, but only Rs 55 lakh was found during physical verification, showing a shortage of Rs 1,51,72,991. From April 1 to Sept 8, records showed another shortage of Rs 19,93,021. A second chartered accountant also reported a similar discrepancy.After they realised that their alleged activities had been detected, all four accused absconded.
