The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the multi-crore I Monetary Advisory scam was able to trace the mastermind and its founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan to Dubai and spent almost 15 days with him before bringing him back to the country after much persuasion.
The Karnataka police managed to arrest him within 40 days of his fleeing the country, a first for the force.
Within a week of Khan fleeing to Dubai, Interpol issued a blue notice to locate, identify or obtain information about him. He was traced to Dubai airport on June 14 while trying to fly to London and was off-loaded from the plane. He again tried to flee on June 19 and was stopped.
Meanwhile, on June 23, Khan released a video stating that he wanted to return to India and was ready to cooperate with the police. He also said he feared for his safety.
The SIT team, under the supervision of ADGP M A Saleem, headed by Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) B R Ravikanthe Gowda and investigated by DCP S Girish, sent a special team of four officials to Dubai.
In a covert operation, the SIT flew to Dubai in the first week of July. They traced Khan’s hideout to Dubai and approached him, leaving him shocked. SIT convinced him to return to India.
A senior SIT officer said the team took him to the Indian Embassy in Dubai and explained the situation to him. They stayed with him for 15 days and explained to him the various ways he could return to India. They prepared emergency documents to facilitate his return. They were all set to leave Dubai on July 15.
Another officer said that Khan meanwhile requested the SIT team to let him release another video addressing his investors. In that video, he said that he would return to India within 24 hours and that he had three heart blocks and would die anytime if he did not undergo surgery. He added that despite this, he would come to India and surrender to the police. But investigators revealed that though he was diabetic, he had no other health issues and the video was only a ploy to gain his investors’ sympathy.
A technical hitch delayed their July 15 departure. They boarded a flight on July 18 and landed at the IGI Airport in New Delhi. The SIT handed him over to the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi with which a case is pending and in keeping with procedures. He will be taken into custody soon, said a senior SIT officer.