“The Return Gift (Arrest and Deportation of Roshan Ansari)” continues…

The booth, however, was not where the records of the telephone department showed it to be installed. Somehow, with the intervention of senior telephone officials, the local lineman—the lynchpin of telephone department—was located. It was he who had installed the telephone at a diverted location, presumably for a consideration. It required a bit of intimidation by us, holding the threat of CBI action against his wrongdoing, before he took us to the booth. The public telephone booth was immediately brought under watch. It was a risky task but it is to the credit of our officers that they kept the place under surveillance in the face of all odds.

A lady in ‘burqua’ matching the height and build of Roshan was spotted approaching the telephone booth in the evening of May 4. It was already dark but ASI (Assistant Sub Inspector) AR Raut of the CBI, keeping watch over the booth, spotted her from a distance and followed her. As expected, she came to the telephone booth and stood in the small queue of people waiting for their turn to make a call. ASI Raut quietly stood behind the lady, as if he too wanted to make a call. When the lady’s turn came, she lifted her veil and began dialling. The ASI could steal a good look at her which matched Roshan’s photographs mailed by the Dubai Police. When she had finished her call, she began to walk back in the same direction from where she had emerged. Raut trailed her discreetly without arousing her suspicion. She went into a ‘chawl’ which the Inspector took note of and immediately called Inspector UK Morey, the senior most officer at the spot, on his mobile. Morey informed DSP Shukla who rushed to Mumbra.

It was a Sunday evening and Virendra had taken his family for a quiet dinner to Khyber, a popular Mughlai restaurant, located at Kala Ghoda, South Mumbai. His mobile rang and it was DSP Shukla on the line.

To be continued…