Felony Theft Charges Against Dinesh Chawla Dropped

MEMPHIS, TN (Ben Caxton) — Shelby County dropped all felony charges against Mississippi Hotel magnate Dinesh Chawla November 25. Chawla was arrested in August after security footage at the Memphis Airport showed he removed another passenger’s luggage from an airport carousel, took it to his own car, and then returned to catch a flight. When confronted by police on his return he admitted to stealing the luggage “for the thrill of it.” He was arrested and charged with two counts of felony theft, posted $5,000 bond, and has been free awaiting a court hearing since. The incident seems to have led to a split with his brother, Suresh Chawla, who in September formed his own hotel management group, Delta Lodging Group LLC. composed of 12 properties. It is not clear what that decision means for 7 other hotel properties the brothers managed together, including the new luxury complex in Cleveland.