The 25-year-old, currently posing as a conman but previously a U-19 cricketer for Haryana, engaged in fraudulent activities targeting multiple luxury hotels and resorts, including India’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant.
Mrinank Singh harbored a fascination for a lavish lifestyle, aspiring to dine in upscale restaurants and reside in five-star hotels. The young cricketer devised distinct plans to fulfill his desire for opulence. Mrinank assumed the identity of an IPL cricketer associated with the Mumbai Indians, employing this persona to deceive women and international brands specializing in sports accessories. He also maintained a backup identity in case of exposure.
From Cricketer to Conman The 25-year-old, now operating as a conman but previously a U-19 cricketer for Haryana, deceived numerous luxury hotels, resorts, and even India’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant. The conman employed a specific modus operandi to defraud both brands and individuals.
Presenting himself as an IPL cricketer affiliated with the Mumbai Indians from 2014 to 2018, he leveraged this claim to create an illusion of popularity. This charade facilitated his influence over women, allowing him to frequent expensive restaurants and stay in five-star hotels without settling bills.
In 2022, the conman stayed at the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi for a week, departing without paying a bill of ₹5.53 lakh. He falsely asserted that Adidas would cover the expenses, presenting a fake transaction ID of ₹200,000. Despite repeated attempts by the hotel to contact him for payment, he evaded responsibility until the police were alerted to the incident.
Aware of the police pursuit, he deliberately kept his phone off to erase any trace of his location, leading acquaintances to believe he had relocated to Dubai. Nearly a year after the incident, he was detained at the Delhi airport’s immigration office on December 25 while attempting to escape to Hong Kong.
The Backup Identity Attempting another act of deception, the conman used his backup identity as an IPS officer from Karnataka when confronted by immigration officials. Posing as Alok Kumar, Additional Director General of Karnataka Police, he contacted senior police officials to seek assistance, claiming his son, Mrinank Singh, was unlawfully detained at the Delhi airport.
Despite efforts to mislead and assert his father’s purported credentials, including a claim that his father, Ashok Kumar Singh, was associated with the Indian Cricket Team and currently worked for Air India at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, the police apprehended him.
Cheating Rishabh Pant Under various guises, including that of a cricketer or a senior police officer from Karnataka, he defrauded multiple individuals, including star cricketer Rishabh Pant, of ₹1.63 crore in 2020-2021. His victims extended to cab drivers, young women, bars, restaurants, and more. The conman, with over 40,000 followers on his Instagram account showcasing a purported “luxury lifestyle,” faces charges in multiple states.
Police investigations revealed that he holds a Commerce degree from Delhi University’s Hindu College and pursued an MBA in Human Resources from OPJS University in Rajasthan. His family has disowned him, citing a lack of control over his actions. The accused is presently in two-day police custody, and a thorough probe is underway.
