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

In the interim, Virendra and Maj. M were in touch with each other. Maj. M of the Dubai Police requested Virendra to come with Roshan to Dubai and be his guest. But, Virendra politely declined. Lady Inspector Jyotsna Raasam, who had heard this conversation between Virendra and Maj. M, volunteered to escort Roshan to Dubai. When asked whether she had a passport, she replied in the affirmative and said it was lying at her home in Andheri, not very far from the Air Terminal. She was asked to rush home in a CBI vehicle and get it as soon as was possible. Dubai was informed of her escorting the fugitive and her ticket was also arranged by them immediately over telephone. By the time Inspector Jyotsna Raasam returned with her passport, it was time for the Emirates flight to leave. However, it waited until the Lady Inspector returned with her passport and was on board with the fugitive and her daughter.

Virendra stayed on at the airport until the flight had taken off. It was a miracle how so many complex issues were resolved in such a short while. A small crowd of Roshan’s relatives and well-wishers had meanwhile collected outside the terminal building and began to raise slogans against the police. They had no clue it was the CBI which had packed off Roshan to Dubai. Virendra asked the Airport Police to deal with them.

I received news of Roshan’s safe arrival at Dubai International Airport duly escorted by Lady Inspector Jyotsna Raasam at about 7.30 am (IST) in the morning of May 5, 2002. Interestingly, Brig. Khalfan Khalfan Abdulla, Director General, Department of Criminal Investigations, Dubai Police was himself present at Dubai Airport to receive Roshan and the lady officer Inspector Raasam escorting her. A formal handing/taking over was done before the Dubai Police took charge of the fugitive.

Now that it was not too early to call the Director, I phoned him up and informed him of all that had happened the previous night.

To be continued…