CHENNAI: After activists on Saturday flagged the issue of guest workers from north eastern states being illegally detained by the management of a hotel near Koyambedu, Chennai Police conducted investigations and booked the three employees and the manager in separate cases filed by both parties.

The employees from the north eastern states were booked for allegedly swindling Rs 5 lakh from the hotel bar while the manager has been booked for forcibly detaining them in a room for 'enquiry'.

Police sources said that the hotel where the incident happened is owned by a Chennai Corporation Councillor. There are about 41 staff members working in the hotel.

According to the complaint by the manager, the three staff who were working in the bar — Remnunsang Thawnbir (25) of Mizoram, Lunkhojang Sonhenlenthang (20) and Paokhomang Haokholun (21), both from Manipur, had used the UPI QR codes on their phones to collect payment from customers at the bar instead of using the hotel's UPI code, and allegedly swindled up to Rs 5 lakh.

On Saturday, the manager, Syed Zafrullah (63) forcibly detained the three staff members at the hotel and questioned them, restricting them from going out. One of them later alerted an acquaintance who informed the police.

Personnel from the CMBT police station rushed to the scene and took the three staff members and the manager to the station. After receiving a complaint from both parties, separate cases were filed.