Court cites multiple complaints against Valorah Hospitality; customers allegedly duped of crores.
The Gujarat High Court has refused anticipatory bail to three partners of Valorah Resort and Hospitality LLP (formerly Karma Resort and Hospitality), accused of running a large-scale holiday membership scam.
According to a media report, Justice noted that the case appeared to be a “huge scam of crores of rupees,” pointing out that several customers—not just the complainant—were allegedly cheated using the same modus operandi.
The case
The accused—Hriday Solanki, Alpesh Rao, and Aniruddh Singh—were booked in 2023 after a couple lodged an FIR with Satellite police. The complainant said they were invited to an event at Courtyard by Marriott, Satellite, in February 2020, where they were persuaded to buy a holiday membership for 1.23 lakh.
They were promised 70 nights at luxury resorts over 10 years, six complimentary nights, and bookings in 4- and 5-star hotels. However, the company allegedly failed to deliver on these assurances, leading the couple to approach the police.
Pattern of fraud
While the accused argued that the matter was a civil dispute and the FIR was filed to extort money, the prosecution highlighted a widespread pattern of fraud.
- 75 complaints against the firm in Ahmedabad Consumer Forum
- 45 complaints in Surat Consumer Forum
- 4 FIRs filed against the company (two later quashed after settlements)
- Property attached by ICICI Bank for loan default
- Business premises sealed by Vadodara Municipal Corporation for unpaid taxes
- 46 lakh EPF liability pending against the firm
Taking note of these factors, the High Court denied bail, observing that the allegations reflected a systematic attempt to dupe customers.