Interpol puts Arav Khan on red alert

Interpol has put Arav Khan alias Rabiul Islam Apon – a fugitive accused in the murder case of a Bangladesh Special Branch Inspector Mamun Imran Khan – on its red notice on Thursday midnight.

"Arav Khan, a 35-year-old Bangladeshi, is wanted by law enforcement entities of Bangladesh over murder charges," the Interpol website reads.

With the latest inclusion, a total of 63 Bangladesh nationals are now on Interpol's red alert.

"Putting Arav Khan on Interpol red alert has advanced the extradition process another step ahead," said former inspector general of police Muhammad Nurul Huda.

"Now, the focus should be on his extradition. As the fugitive is under UAE Police surveillance, the Bangladesh authorities must continue talks with India and the UAE," he told The Business Standard.

An official from Interpol stationed at the Bangladesh Police Headquarters said Arav Khan's extradition wouldn't be possible until India cancels his passport.

"We need to prove that he is an absconding criminal who forged documents and obtained an Indian passport to hide his identity," the official, who asked to be unnamed, told TBS.

"The matter [of Arav Khan] is being investigated with utmost importance," IGP Abdullah Al-Mamun told the media on 20 March. "We are also investigating if any police officer is involved in his escape. We will disclose our findings when the time is right," he added.

Meanwhile, a Detective Branch official said a letter will be sent to the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh, requesting them to cancel the fake Indian passport of Rabiul Islam alias Arav Khan. The letter, prepared by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, is now under review of the home ministry, he added.

Earlier, Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan told the media that it is not possible to bring Arav back. "He has not gone to Dubai using a Bangladeshi passport. There is no way but to request India to bring him back."

Earlier, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that Interpol's help has been sought to bring Arav back from Dubai.

A red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. It is based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the judicial authorities in the requesting country. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.

Arav Khan, a Dubai-based gold trader, came to the limelight following media reports that cricketer Shakib Al Hasan was visiting Dubai to attend the inauguration programme of his jewellery shop in Dubai.

Curiosity about Arav's identity

Shakib Al Hasan joined his jewellery shop opening in Dubai on Wednesday (15 March). After seeing Arav on a Facebook post, many people recognised him as Rabiul Islam, the fugitive murderer accused. Discussions started on how an absconding accused went to Dubai and made a hefty amount of money.

Consequently, the police launched an investigation regarding the matter. According to police sources, Rabiul Islam alias Arav Khan started a gold business in Dubai with financial help from a former senior retired police officer.

Arav Khan was sued in 2019, a year after SB Inspector Mamun Imran Khan was murdered in a house in the capital's Banani. His body was packed in a sack and taken to a forest in Ulukhola, Gazipur, doused in petrol and set on fire, according to the case documents.

After investigating the case, the DB filed a charge sheet in April 2019. In the charge sheet, police said that a gang led by Robiul Islam used to trap affluent people, blackmail and extort money from them.

In April 2019, police filed a charge sheet in Mamun Imran Khan's murder case with the court indicting 10 people including Robiul.