Mumbai, May 11
A case involving the alleged misuse of a Aadhaar card by a guest at a renowned five-star hotel in Mumbai has come to light, with a woman accusing her husband of using her identity to stay at the luxury property with another woman during the course of their ongoing divorce proceedings.
Based on the complaint filed by the woman, the Mumbai Police have registered a case and initiated a detailed investigation into the matter. Officials said the case pertains to alleged identity theft, forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy.
According to police officials, the Bandra Police Station has registered a case against Deepak Goyal and an unidentified woman under Sections 318, 319(2), 336(2), 336(3), 336(4), 340(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is currently underway.
As per the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant, Pallavi Deepak Goyal (39), stated that she married Deepak Goyal in 2013. However, marital disputes had arisen between the couple, and divorce proceedings based on mutual consent have been pending before a court in Surat since February 20.
The matter took a dramatic turn on April 14, when Pallavi, who was in Mumbai for personal work, reportedly received a phone call from her lawyer. During the conversation, the lawyer asked whether she had reached a settlement with her husband and withdrawn the divorce petition. When she denied doing so, the lawyer informed her that an acquaintance had allegedly seen Deepak Goyal at Taj Lands End with a woman.
Shocked by the information, Pallavi immediately contacted the hotel to verify the details. According to the complaint, hotel staff informed her that a suite had indeed been booked in the names of Deepak Goyal and Pallavi Goyal from February 16 to February 18, and that both guests had checked into the hotel during that period.
The complainant, however, maintained that she had never visited the hotel during those dates. She alleged that she was at her parents’ residence in Vadodara at the time and that her Aadhaar card and other identity documents had remained in her possession throughout.
Determined to uncover the truth, Pallavi visited the hotel the same evening and requested access to CCTV footage and check-in details. However, hotel authorities reportedly refused to provide the information directly and advised her to send an email to the General Manager seeking official clarification.
Though Pallavi subsequently emailed the hotel management, she claimed she received no response. When she revisited the hotel the following day, the Assistant Security and Safety Manager allegedly informed her that such details could only be shared with the police authorities.
Following this, the complainant approached Bandra Police Station and formally lodged a complaint.
During the preliminary investigation, police reportedly obtained hotel records and identity documents used during the check-in process. According to the complainant, she was shocked to discover that the Aadhaar card submitted at the hotel carried her name and photograph but was allegedly fabricated.
Police suspect that the accused may have used forged identity documents to facilitate the hotel stay. Investigators are now examining CCTV footage, digital booking records, guest registration forms, and the hotel’s identity verification procedures to determine how the alleged fake Aadhaar card was accepted during check-in.
Officials said the role of the unidentified woman accompanying Deepak Goyal is also being probed. The police are investigating whether there was a conspiracy to deliberately misuse the complainant’s identity during the hotel stay.
A case has been registered under serious charges—including identity theft, forgery of documents, fraud, and criminal conspiracy—and the police are actively pursuing the investigation.
