Trevor and Hilary Foster smile for photographers in Chandigarh after police confirmed the identity of Maninderpal Singh Kohli. (AFP)

Darjeeling, July 16: The dedicated doctor in Kalimpong was till a few months ago Rohan Mehta, a dream-peddler here.

Before changing into his avatar of “UN worker” Mike Davis in Kalimpong, Maninderpal Singh Kohli played to perfection the role of Mehta, a suave businessman trying to lure local people to his “factories” in Bangalore.

His winsome ways convinced Abdul, a barber whom he used to frequent, to leave his job.

There were others, who refused to bite the bait. Salim, who did not accept the offer because of family commitments, said: “He came to our shop regularly and told us that he had a cement factory and a contact lens-manufacturing unit in Bangalore. He befriended one of our colleagues and also told us that his elder brother, who was working for the British high commission, would help us visit the UK.”

Salim and his colleague Jay Kishan, who also said no to Kohli, are not sure where their friend Abdul is. He has not returned to work since.

Kohli checked into a hotel here on February 8, stating in the register he was a British national on a holiday who had relatives in Bangalore. He gave his permanent address as 103, RJ Garden, Luizhmi Puram, Indiranagar, Bangalore.

The register shows Kohli checked out on March 26, apparently to leave for Calcutta.

The hotel manger said: “He told me that he had checked into another hotel, but did not like it and came to mine. He used to leave the hotel after breakfast and return at night. He would read newspapers everyday and watch television as much as possible,” said the manager.

Kohli would also spend time in a cyber café and visit tourist spots, recalled Salim. “He once took me to a cyber café where he chatted on the Net with his wife and two children, who were in Britain,” said Salim.

Kohli mingled well with local people and was soon a part of their everyday lives. He even attended a Shivratri function.

The hotel employees, however, had to beg him to leave. “He would always postpone his departure and finally left when we told him he could pay whatever he could manage. I remember there was a barber with him,” said the manager.

A hotel receipt shows that Kohli came to Darjeeling on July 12 to clear his dues, amounting to Rs 5,000. “He did not stay that night but introduced his wife and some others with him. He said he would bring sweets the next day,” said the manager.

Kohli was last seen here on July 13 when he bought a bottle of brandy at 6.30 in the evening, a little before the media started flashing his photographs.

“He was a gentleman but would often be pensive. ‘You all are very lucky, my life is short’, he would say,” the manager said.

(Some names changed on request)