The flat in Murgi Hatta that Kohli had rented after his marriage. A Telegraph picture

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

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

Kohli’s winsome ways convinced Abdul, a local barber whom he used to frequent, to leave his job.

There were others, however, who refused to bite the bait. Salim, who did not take up Kohli’s offer due to family commitments, said: “He used to come to our shop regularly. He told us that he had a cement factory and another one manufacturing contact lens in Bangalore. He befriended one of our colleagues and 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 is, but believe he is “probably” still in Kalimpong. Abdul has not returned to work since.

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

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

The hotel manager believes that Kohli was in town before February 8. “He told me that he had checked into another hotel, but did not like it and came to my hotel. He used to leave the hotel after breakfast and return at night. He would read the newspapers everyday and watch television as much as possible,” said the manager.

Kohli would also while away time in a cyber café or visit tourist spots, recalled Salim. He made a lot of friends during his brief stay. “He once took me to a cyber café where he chatted on the Internet with his wife and two children. He said his wife and children were in Britain,” said Salim.

Kohli mingled so well with the local people that he was soon made a part of their day-to-day lives.

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

A receipt at the hotel shows that Kohli came to Darjeeling on July 12 to pay his outstanding dues, amounting to Rs 5,000, to the hotel owner. “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 be pensive whenever he came to see our family. He would say ‘you all are lucky, my life is short’, but the hotel employees had no idea what he meant. We used to think that he had AIDS and that is why he would utter such words,” said the manager.

(Some names have been changed on request)