Noida court grants three-day police remand for Chinese national

Xue maintained during interrogation that he came to India just before the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2019. He added that though his visa expired in 2020, and the lockdown was lifted, he could not leave India due to a host of reasons, including expensive flight tickets. Incidentally, Xue was arrested from a luxury hotel in Gurugram and he was also driving a BMW car

The district court on Friday granted three-day police remand for Chinese national Xue Fei (36), who was arrested from a Gurugram hotel on Monday for illegally staying in India after his visa expired in 2020.

Chinese national Xue Fei was arrested from a Gurugram hotel on Monday. (Sourced)

Following the remand, Xue was questioned on Friday for several hours by the Gautam Budh Nagar Police as well as security agencies.

After his arrest along with his friend from Nagaland, Petekhrinuo (22), a luxury club in Greater Noida was also raided on Tuesday, which was allegedly run by him. Police said that it was frequented only by Chinese nationals, located at a three-storeyed building in nondescript Gharbara village in Greater Noida.

Sources said that on Friday, Xue was taken to the club and questioned regarding his documents, purpose of stay and the whereabouts of his absconding Indian accomplice, a man named Ravi.

“We have recovered some documents, diaries, registers, small machines for counting notes and other articles. We also found liquor bottles in huge quantities and have informed the excise department. There was a licence granted for a recent event, but the number of alcohol bottles was too large to be consumed during one party,” said Minakshi Katyayan, deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

Sources said that apart from documents, police also confiscated gadgets such as tablets, laptops and music systems. Police also found articles with Chinese script such as cigarettes and food packets as well as crockery.

“Except for the laptops and tablets, everything, including smallest furnishings such as table mats are manufactured in China,” said a police officer.

Meanwhile, Xue maintained during interrogation that he came to India just before the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2019. He added that though his visa expired in 2020, and the lockdown was lifted, he could not leave India due to a host of reasons, including expensive flight tickets. Incidentally, Xue was arrested from a luxury hotel in Gurugram and he was also driving a BMW car.

Xue is yet to explain why he did not try to contact the Chinese embassy in New Delhi after his visa expired.

Police said that the mobile phone of Petekhrinuo has also been retrieved while her identity cards such as Aadhaar and driving licence have also been found. She is believed to be Xue’s girlfriend and was living with him in Greater Noida.

Police said that most of the phone calls and messages from Petekhrinuo’s phone have been deleted, though there are several calls made to a private bank representative. Also, her ID cards mention her permanent address as Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida with no mention of her home address in Nagaland.

Police said that Xue has revealed details of his Indian accomplice Ravi and the places he frequently visited in Noida. The name of another accomplice, Ashok, has also surfaced, who belongs to a neighbouring district.

Police added that the whereabouts of both Ravi and Ashok are being tracked and they will be arrested soon. During his interrogation, Xue had said that his fake Indian passport was provided by Ravi.

The luxury club is also co-owned by Ravi along with another partner, police said.

Apart from police, several other security agencies have also questioned the duo on Friday and Saturday. “We cannot reveal much regarding the investigation. We are fully cooperating with the security agencies,” said DCP Katyayan.

Gautam Budh Nagar Police is exploring various angles, including drug trafficking, prostitution, honey-trapping and espionage or a spy ring being run from remote areas in Greater Noida, close to the national capital.