Alleged LeT suspect David Headley skipped the posh Osho commune guest house for a cheaper hotel next door during his second visit
Alleged LeT suspect David Headley skipped the posh Osho commune guest house for a cheaper hotel next door during his second visit
Terror suspect David Headley may have been linked with Bollywood starlets, but when it came to spending money, he was quite a miser.u00a0
During his visit to the city in March 2009, Headley spent the night in a low-priced hotel Surya Villa, giving the rather posh guest house at the Osho commune a skip. A room in the guest house is priced at Rs 3,000 per night, however Headley opted for the Rs 1,200 a night non-AC room at the next door Hotel Surya Villa. All this in the scorching summer heat of Pune.
Non-committal
Joint commissioner of police Rajendra Sonawane said, "During the course of investigation, we have recovered a copy of the bill (Rs 1,200) that Headley paid for his stay at the hotel." He added that the investigation is in progress and it's too early to conclude anything at his stage.
Ma Sadhana the spokesperson of the commune said, "No one remembers his face. Our records indicate that he came to the resort and like all other foreigners, he got the mandatory HIV checkup done to which, he tested negative. He was then given entry in to the resort. However, we don't know if he asked for room in our guest house or not."
She added, "In summer, the occupancy of the guest house is low, as foreigners prefer to visit the city when the temperature is cooler."
Low occupancy
The commune has 60 A/C rooms, all with double beds and attached bathrooms. While the hotel where Headley stayed, by no means, can be described even as a semi-luxury accommodation.
The staff at Surya Villa is tightlipped, and refuses to speak about Headley. "We don't want to say anything. We have already informed the police," said the receptionist on condition of anonymity.
Chitaranjan Bahl, president of Pune Hoteliers Association said, "There should not have been any problems as the average room occupancy in hotels at that time was around 65 per cent."
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