HUMAN ARM

NOTE: This story is based on Author’s fiction. It doesn’t apply to any historical references or real-life incidents.

APRIL 18, 2O22

THOOTUKUDI, TAMILNADU

Jeeva and his son Ram took a boat for fishing. When they were fishing, a small shark was caught in their net, and when they tried to catch it, at the same time, a 14 feet tiger shark came there to eat that small shark, unexpectedly caught in their net. Now he took it in his boat and got an idea.

Shark attacks were happening on the beaches for a few months and recently a shark attacked and killed three people. So at that time, people were crazy about sharks. So people might wish to see that shark. His brother Chandran had an aquarium in the coastal town and there also customer rate was too low. So if we keep this tiger shark in that glass tank, a lot of people will come to see it and think that his business might improve.

So they left this tiger shark at the aquarium.

ONE WEEK LATER

APRIL 25, 2022

4:30 PM

The time is exactly 4:30 in the evening. A lot of customers were watching the tiger shark on the display. Suddenly the tiger shark began to behave differently. It started to swim up and down slowly and suddenly it started vomiting in front of the customers.

First, it vomited a rat. Next, it vomited a bird. Finally, it vomited a human hand. Seeing this everyone started to scream and run. After the shark vomited a hand, the aquarium owner called the police immediately.

Inspector Kishore also came and saw the hand. And when he was looking, he saw a tattoo of two boxers fighting in that hand. So immediately his team killed that tiger shark and searched for remains in its stomach. But there was nothing. So when they tested that hand, it doesn’t look like the shark attacked and ate a human.

Instead, it was found that the arm was cut with a sharp object. So to find whose hand it is, Kishore published that hand’s photo in the newspaper. They said that if anyone knows about this hand then inform the police.

MADRAS

Then a person named Abdullah(from Chennai), who saw the newspaper, called Kishore and said: “The tattoo looks like my brother Nagoor Meeran’s hand.” Kishore heads to Chennai immediately with his team, after seeking the permission of Commissioner Nagendran in Thootukudi.

Since Nagoor is involved in a lot of crime and has been arrested, his fingerprints were already with the police. So Kishore took the fingerprints from this hand and with the new fingerprint technology, he confirmed that it belongs to a 38-year-old Nagoor Meeran.

“Who is this Nagoor Meeran?” asked Kishore to the Chennai ACP Arjun.

“That guy is well-known among the locals. He was a bigwig and has connections with lots of politicians and people, who have done brutal murders in various districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.”

“Unbelievable sir!” Kishore exclaimed in shock to which, Arjun said: “Not only that Kishore sir. A few days before, he was a boxer.”

FEW DAYS BACK

Nagoor worked as a builder for Minister Sekhar in Madras Port. Even though this Sekhar was a respected businessman cum politician, he was involved in lots of criminal activities with the help of Naxalites and Mayor Anjali. Outside, he projected himself as a boat builder. But, he was doing insurance scams with organized drug dealings. So at first Nagoor joined him as a builder. But after that, he started to involve in criminal activities. Not only that, he was the one who operates Sekhar’s speedboat.

PRESENT

At present, Inspector Kishore looked at him in shock as he looked into the images of a speedboat.

Now, Arjun continued to narrate about Nagoor Meeran and his criminal activities.

11 DAYS BACK

Nagoor was also the caretaker of the boat named Path Finder. Now both Nagoor and Sekhar started to work with another person called Biady(a 65-year-old man, who resides in Mumbai). Biady was involved in a lot of criminal activities from the 1980s. He can copy the signature of others and make a lot of forgeries by signing like Military Generals. So now all three of them joined together and forged the signs of rich clients of Sekhar and started doing forgery. But when it was going like this, a misunderstanding arose between Nagoor and Biady. Now what Nagoor said is, he blackmailed Biady that he will expose his forgery works.   

Now it is April 28, 2022. That is exactly when the tiger shark was caught. 11 days before that, Nagoor and Sekhar were drinking and playing cards in the hotel. After that, they went to Sekhar’s cottage near the beach. Everyone believes that Sekhar killed Nagoor there. From there Sekhar hired a call taxi and came to Biady’s house that night.

When I investigated that taxi driver in the later days, he said: “Sir. When Sekhar got in my taxi, he was so scared and tense. Even his hair collapsed. Not only that, Sekhar had something in his coat jacket, sir.”

PRESENT

Looking at the case of Nagoor in his file, Arjun said: “Mr. Kishore. Nagoor said his wife Thaslima Banu that he was going to the physique. But since then he didn’t return even after two to three days, and she began to fear. Then a phone call came to his wife from an unknown number. In that, they said that Nagoor will return home in three days, and the phone call got disconnected. But he didn’t return home. Then on April 25, the shark in the aquarium vomited Nagoor’s hand. So, something is fishy here.” Arjun smoked his cigar while thinking about the case.

Turning back to Kishore, he asked him to get a transfer to Chennai. Since he needs his assistance and help to crack this case. As he believes that, Kishore has the ability to find clues about this case. Kishore gets his transfer to Chennai.

MAY 17, 2022

CHENNAI MAYOR’S HOUSE

On May 17, 2022, Arjun takes Kishore to the house of Mayor Anjali, where she and Sekhar are having sex inside the bedroom. He’s kissing her cheek, neck, and breast, and even caressing in-between her legs. Seeing this, Kishore becomes shocked and asked Arjun: “Sir. What’s this? This 58-year-old idiot is enjoying a 30-year-old Mayor ah?”

“It’s said to be an illegitimate affair by you and many people do. We shouldn’t tell like such. It should be named as the relationship beyond marriage.” Arjun said and tells, “He is a bigwig da. Having connections with our Chief Minister, Urban Naxals, and other anti-social elements. That’s why we are taking a big risk with a plan to kidnap him. So, kindly cooperate with me.”

Though it’s a risk, Kishore reluctantly agrees to carry out this operation. But, he had doubt in his mind about the Mayor and asked Arjun: “Sir. How a woman is like this?”

“There’s no shame, dignity, and self-esteem to the women, who are in this party da. This mayor didn’t even hesitate to travel in CM’s car by climbing to the top of the car. We shouldn’t bother about this. Our main duty is to kidnap this Sekhar.”

After hitting the securities and beating up Sekhar’s henchman inside the house, a masked Kishore sees Sekhar coming out of the house. He alerts Arjun(who’s also masked). He immediately hits Sekhar unconscious and both take him to a dilapidated building.

Kishore and Arjun investigated him for continuous six hours. But Sekhar didn’t say anything at first. He threatened to dismiss permanently from the police department. However, Arjun slapped him and said: “You can’t even pluck a hair from us. If we think, we could slit your throat and put you in Cooum river. Where will you go and complain?”

Kishore also slapped his left and right. When Arjun said that they are going to kidnap his daughter and rape her, he fears and tells: “No. I will confess everything. I only killed Nagoor.”

Arjun becomes shocked upon hearing this. He further tells: “But the one who asked me to kill was Biady.” Immediately, Arjun brings Biady with the help of his Mumbai police teammates in Maharashtra to the same building, where Sekhar had been kept.

Biady tells: “I don’t even know a person called Nagoor.” Now, Arjun appoints one of his constables to look after Sekhar.

After this, a mysterious thing takes place. Biady with alcohol in one hand and a gun in another hand took his speedboat and went to the harbor in Mumbai after escaping from the captivity cell of Arjun. He drank a lot in the boat and shot himself in the head. It was noticed by some people on the other boat. Not only that, they informed the police and they also came there.

But to everyone’s surprise, Biady pressed the trigger in his head, he survived that gunshot. Biady became unconscious and fell into the sea after the gunshot and as soon as he fell into the water he became unconscious and got on his boat. With that bullet hole wound on his head, he drove his speed boat to Bombay harbor.

But already some people informed the police. So the police came there with Arjun and started chasing his boat.

After chasing for four hours they caught him and after he was caught by Arjun, he said: “Someone shot me. That’s why I escaped. I thought that you were also chasing that person. That’s why I didn’t stop my boat.”

But when Arjun and Kishore continuously investigated him in the prison cell, he confessed everything to the police officers.

“Yes, Nagoor Meeran is dead. Still, one person is outside. Leave me out today night alone sir. I will kill him,” he said angrily to Arjun and Kishore, whose facial reactions changed.

MURDER

Because as Sekhar said to Arjun, it’s a lie that Biady asked Sekhar to kill Nagoor Meeran. Actually, Sekhar blackmailed Biady. Sekhar went to his house with Nagoor’s hand. There he said, “I killed him. This is his hand and if you don’t give me money now, I will say to the police that you asked me to kill Nagoor.”

So Biady also gave the money Sekhar asked for. But he left that hand in Biady’s house itself.

PRESENT

“I was scared and threw that hand into the sea and the tiger shark swallowed that hand. After that, only the tiger shark was caught and kept in the aquarium.” Biady said to Kishore and Arjun.

Now what Arjun said to Biady is, “You are linked to this murder case somehow. But if you give a statement against Sekhar, we will not put any charges on you.” And Biady also agreed to that.

He was about to confess on June 12^th. But on June 12^th morning, he was found dead in his car. Since there is no one there to prove the witness, the case that Sekhar killed Nagoor, began to lose its strength since, there is no evidence.

What Sekhar’s lawyer Pandian said to the Madras High court is, “Honorable court. According to our Indian constitution, a body was necessary to conduct an inquest and a limb could not be considered a body. Here only a hand was found. So it can’t be considered a dead body. Not only that, sharks digest their food within 24 hours. But even if we take the timeline according to what the prosecution side says, the hand must be in the shark’s stomach for at least 8-17 days. How can it be?” He asked how it can be possible.

“So maybe in that aquarium, someone fed that hand to the shark. So definitely the shark didn’t vomit the hand,” he said.

But for that, the prosecution side came with a fish scientist. What they said is, “I object to the statement of Sekhar sir’s lawyer, my lord. That hand might affect Shark’s digestive system. That’s why digestion didn’t take place,” they said.

Not only that. On the day when the shark vomited, the 14 members who saw that were brought as a piece of evidence. And all that 14 members said that they saw the shark vomiting the hand. But the court said that there is not enough evidence in it. So it released Sekhar from this case.

Coming out of the court, Sekhar stared at Arjun and said: “Did you see? Money wins everything. Even these 14 members, if I threw money and a quarter bottle, will come hit and run like sheep to get that and speak in favor of me, da. For me, no shame, no dignity, and no self-esteem. Today, I will make CM wear his slippers and tomorrow, I would even go to the extent of falling beneath his feet. That is politics. You kind of guys won’t understand that.” After he goes, DGP calls Arjun and warns him to be careful.

Dejected and angry, Arjun and Kishore decide to investigate(unofficially) what really happened to Nagoor Meeran and, who is the reason behind that. With the investigations that Arjun and Kishore carried on earlier, they make some theories for this case:

“Theory 1: According to this first theory, what Biady said to the police is true. According to that, Sekhar killed Nagoor Meeran and blackmailed him to get money. By supporting this theory, the day when Brady came to witness, he was found dead in his car. So this theory states that this is also done by Sekhar(with the influences of Naxals).” Arjun said to which Kishore asked: “What Sekhar’s lawyer said to prove his point about his innocence is, Sekhar is just 5.4 feet. But Nagoor is very big. So how can he kill him solely?”

“But even though he could have easily killed with a gun Since Nagoor’s body was not found, we cannot say how he died. Even we cannot say that he is dead.” Arjun said and added: “This takes us to the next theory. No one killed Nagoor. He is not dead.”

“How is that possible Arjun sir?” asked Kishore. He replied: “Because his dead body was not found. So we cannot say that he is dead. Nagoor didn’t like being with Biady’s criminal activities. So he might have tried to move away from him. But he cannot just go away from him. That’s why he faked his own death and cut down his own hand. So he might be alive somewhere.”

“Hmm!” said Kishore. Now, Arjun took a board and writes Theory 3.

“Now, theory 3: According to this theory, Nagoor was killed in Sekhar’s beachside cottage. But he didn’t kill him. Because on that day, Sekhar’s wife suspected him and went to check the cottage whether her husband is with Anjali or some other girl. Without knowing him, she came to the cottage. But when she came there, she heard some men were partying there. So she went back.”

“So, according to this, Sekhar went out and when he returned to the cottage, already Nagoor was dead. Right?” asked Kishore to which Arjun said: “Yes. But Sekhar thought that his life would become dangerous if he say that out.”

After this theory didn’t match, Arjun writes Theory 4 on the board. Turning to Kishore, he said: “This is the most possible and clear theory amongst all, Kishore.”

“Why?”

“According to this theory, Biady ordered the killing of Nagoor Meeran. As I already said, Nagoor Meeran was the caretaker of his pathfinder speedboat. At that time, Biady was doing a lot of insurance scams. Likewise, he thought of burning his pathfinder speedboat and getting the insurance money. He made a plan and burned that boat. But after that, the insurance company refused to pay them. Because Nagoor worked as an informant to the police and said that he has doubts about that fire accident. Because of this, the insurance company refused to pay. Knowing this, Biady was very angry with him. At the same time, since Nagoor started blackmailing him, he made a plan to kill him with Sekhar. Likewise, as proof that Nagoor is dead, Sekhar brought his hand to Biady. Finally, he threw Nagoor’s hand into the sea and unexpectedly tiger shark swallowed it. After that, the shark was caught and kept in the aquarium and then it vomited.”

“Sir. Likewise, with this theory, Biady was found dead in his car. For that, the reason is not Sekhar. To do an insurance scam for one last time in his life, he took an insurance policy that after he died the amount will go to his wife and children. Likewise, he set up some people and made them kill him. So if he died his insurance amount will go to his family. It will go to his wife and children. Also, all the crimes he did in his life will not come out and no one will talk ill about him.”

“Yes, Kishore. Actually, there are a lot of chances for this theory to be true. Because already Biady shot himself to death. His wife also knows what really happened to Nagoor.”

“Repeat that point once again sir.” Kishore said to which Arjun said: “Hmm…his wife also knows what really happened to Nagoor.” They go to interrogate her. But, her house was burned in a mysterious way and she also died thirty minutes.

Arjun breaks his car glass to which Kishore says: “No use to investigate this case, sir. As said by Sekhar, we don’t know much about politics.”

“What the hell Kishore?”

“I’m telling the truth, sir. Even this murder had been done by Sekhar. Now his party is in the ruling power. From the suicide of a school girl to the sexual relationship with the Mayor, each and every illegal activity are happening in our state(including bomb blasts, counter-terrorism, and religion-caste abuse). But, we are watching like scapegoats. Even our DGP is under their control. Better we do our next work rather than focusing on this case sir.”

Arjun returns to his duty as a police officer along with Kishore. But, they still regret that they didn’t get Sekhar punished for his crimes. Meanwhile, the public brutally troll the police department for their inefficiency in handling this case, which irks the DGP.

While Arjun tells Kishore: “Kishore. If Sekhar was a poor man, we could have easily arrested him and gotten him punished. Since he is rich and has connections with so many bigwigs and anti-social elements, our hands were tied up. Our judiciary system is one of the worst in the world. Very ashamed to work in this police department da.”

Tears filled in his eyes, which makes Kishore emotional.