JOIN USRustom Kerawalla, founder-chairman of Vibgyor High chain of schools, had allegedly planned to fly to Dubai hours before the Bangalore police arrested him from a beach resort in Daman on Tuesday night.
Highly placed sources in the City police told Deccan Herald on Wednesday that Kerawalla was scheduled to leave Mumbai by a flight at 12.45 am on July 23.
The police went to the airport to arrest him. However, Kerawalla had learnt that the police were after him and had changed his plan.
Kerawalla rushed back from airport to his mansion near Taj Hotel in his Mercedes Benz.
He abandoned his mobile phone and other electronic gadgets at his house, fearing that police might trace him if he uses the mobile phone.
He took a different car and went to an area in Mumbai where there are a large number of high-rise buildings.
He chose to be there for some time as he believed that it would be impossible for the police to trace him, the sources said.
Though the police returned empty handed from airport, they managed to get hold of a close aide of Kerawalla. The aide told the police that Kerawalla would go to Daman and Diu, about 190 km away from Mumbai and then leave for Dubai.
The police team rushed to Daman and reached Devka beach, where Kerawalla was staying in a resort and arrested him, the sources said.
“He was hosting a party to some of his friends on Tuesday night.
It was 9.30 pm when we reached the resort.
We entered the room where Kerawalla was partying and introduced ourselves as Bangalore police. He tried to act smart, but we told him that the only option before him was to surrender.
We warned that we would register a case for trying to escape from the police custody for which no court would grant bail. Finally, he cooperated.
It was just a soft arrest,” said an officer involved in the probe.Kerawalla reportedly requested the police to take him to Bangalore by flight and not by road.
The police brought him by a flight and landed at Kempegowda International Airport here around 4 am. He was straightaway taken to CCB office for interrogation.
Kerawalla termed his arrest as the biggest shock of his life and requested the police to mask his face before media, added the official.
The crime branch police had meticulously planned the operation to arrest Kerawalla who allegedly went underground since July 17.
Bangalore’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Hemanth Nimbalkar, who hails from Maharshtra, was handpicked by the top brass to lead the operation, the sources said.
The police action to arrest Kerawalla gained momentum after the City police received strict orders in this regard from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a couple of days ago.
The HRD ministry had also asked the State government to take action against the school management, sources claimed.