THE CRIME CASE

Note: This is a complete fiction work, inspired from multiples of true-life events in parts of Tamilnadu. The gore sequences and violence are quite higher in the story and henceforth needs a strict parental guidance.

COIMBATORE DISTRICT: 

KALAPATTI: 

31 DECEMBER 2017- 01 JANUARY 2018: 

In the village of Kalapatti, on the eve of the New Year, the Dalit community had planned for a new-year celebration on the midnight of 31 December 2017. The people festooned the colony's entrance with a balloon arch and celebrated the new year by boiling over milk, a Tamil tradition connected to Pongal festival. They also celebrated the new year by cutting a cake. For a dance program in which the children of the colony took part, a sound system had been set up. Each year, the colony's youth organize these festivities after raising money from the colony's residents.

Some Dalit villagers saw a group of youngsters from the dominant caste Kallar group standing close to the entrance of their colony at around 12.30am on 1 January 2018. These men were in the northern area of the village, from a settlement about 3 km away. The Dalit villagers asserted that the men damaged the arch which they built for celebration. This led to a scuffle between the two groups which led to injury to one Dalit man. The scuffle was quickly broken up.

ONE HOUR LATER:

After an hour, a group of around 80 dominant caste members belonging to the Kallar caste, armed with knives, rods and other weapons, reached the Dalit colony in Kudikadu. They also allegedly brought the weapons in a van. The dominant caste members reportedly stirred up a quarrel over the sound system which were used for the celebrations. Then they went on rampage, damaging properties and ransacking Dalit houses. They reportedly cut off the power supply to the Dalit colony before their attacks. The dominant caste members reportedly screamed ,"Why do you have to wear pants and shirts?" and Why do you need to celebrate New Year, lower caste dogs? during their attacks.

The Dalit men begged the attackers to spare their families while the women locked themselves up in their homes in panic as the mob attacked. The attacks lasted for thirty minutes before the attackers left having taught the Dalits "a lesson." Some Dalits locked them up inside their houses while others escaped to the nearby fields.

The villagers alleged that the violence ended with very few casualties because the Dalit men refrained from fighting back.

During that time period of violence, two dalit girls are trapped in a school bus by some men, three kilometers away from the place.

The Attacks in the village gave a major setback in the village. 15 motor bikes and 15 houses belonging to the Dalits were damaged. House hold articles including utensils, furniture, water pipes and Televisions were also destroyed. The sound system was also reportedly destroyed.

The attacks left 8 Dalits seriously injured and 4 men were hospitalized.

THREE DAYS LATER: 

04 JANUARY 2018: 

Three days later, Akhil Sakthivel is assigned to Kalapatti as the ASP(Additional Superindent of Police), from Erode district. While travelling in the train for the district, he closes his eyes for sometimes and recalls his personal life as a college student in PSG College of Arts and Science.

PSGCAS, 2016: 

Akhil was a final-year college student. He was brilliant in academics and NCC(National Cadet Corps). Though he is from upper-caste family of Kongu Vellalar, he respects everyone and treats his friends as his own cousin and sisters, as per the Indian Law. Since, he aspired to become IPS officer.

During the final year, he was in love with a girl named, Nivisha, a girl from an affluent Brahmin community. Both of them loved each other since the second year of college.

After college, Akhil prepares for UPSC Examinations and gets selected for IPS training, after the examinations and physical tests. During these period of time, his family oughts to learn about his love and were initially against this.

Since, both are from a different caste. However, they give in eventually and talks about the marriage, after cooling down. Having finished the IPS training, Akhil takes up another period of one year assisting some IPS officers and learning, how to handle the crime cases and crime scenes.

During this time, Nivisha meets with a car accident and died instantly. Hearing the news, he is initially shattered. But, learning the importance of life, Akhil moves on.

As per the concerns of his parents and realizing their problems, Akhil agrees to marry a girl of their choice named Deepthi, a Cost Accountant graduate, who too studied in the PSGCAS, as Akhil's classmate and is one year junior to him.

Initially, he was hesitant to talk with her and their relationship was strained. But, he moves on and becomes close with her. But still, the trauma of his former lover's death remains in his heart as an unforgettable event.

PRESENT: 

At present, Akhil reaches Coimbatore junction, where he is met by an unknown man who asked him: "Sir. Are you ASP Akhil Sakthivel sir?"

"Yes sir. Who are you?" asked Akhil Sakthivel.

"Sir. I am your driver Manikandan Lawrence." He goes along with him in the Scorpio Jeep to the SP office of Gopalapuram(Near Railway station), where he is warmly welcomed by Inspector Rarindar and Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar.

"Sir. We are assigned to assist you for investigating crime cases" said the duo, to which he nodded his head. A few hours later, he takes up a house in Ganapathy Police Headquarters, along with his wife Deepthi.

Deepthi asked him, "Akhil. Are you okay with the events, that's happening in your office?"

"Yeah Deepthi. It's fine. All have welcomed me warmly!" said Akhil. She tells him, "Akhil. I am however worried with these transfers da. As I am pregnant, you have to be careful when handling cases da."

Akhil holds her and tells, "Hey. Why you are worrying? Nothing would happen to me and our unborn child. Be bold."

10 JANUARY 2018: 

On 10 January 2018, local villagers from Kalapatti come to Akhil's office, where SI Ravindar and Inspector Anil tries to stop them from going inside to meet Akhil.

But, are eventually let inside and Akhil asked them: "Who are you, madam? Why have you come here? What's the issue?"

"Sir, my two daughters Nandhini and Harshini went missing on the eve of New Year." Akhil gets up from his chair upon hearing this and asks them, "When did they got kidnapped?"

"On the eve of new year sir. After her kidnap, we got a call from someone at 8:30 AM of the next day. That man told that our daughters are in their custody."

"You suspect anyone in this case?" asked Anil to which, one of Nandhini's relatives tells: "I largely suspect the Hindu Munnani leader Manikandan, being involved in this case sir."

Inspector Ravindar summoned Manikandan, but he refused any involvement and he allowed him to go.

Nandhini and Harshini's family files a kidnap complaint, her mother made a complaint that "Manikandan belonging to the Hindu Munnani kidnapped her daughter" but Ravindar instead them to make a complaint that "her daughter was missing". The police lodged a "missing" complaint. This is in breach of Section 361 of the Indian Penal Code, which explicitly specifies that if a minor is taken away without any of the proper permission of their guardian, the child is considered to be kidnapped.

FIVE DAYS LATER: 

Five days later, Ravindar registers FIR and begins the inquiry. Akhil and Ravindar meet Devi, one of the close friends of Nandhini and her cousin Harshini.

"Devi. I heard that you were the one, close to Nandhini and her cousin. Was you present when she was kidnapped?"

Initially hesitant, Devi starts to tell about their life later on, being forced by Ravindar to do so.

THE LIFE OF DEVI, HARSHINI AND NANDHINI: 

Devi, Nandhini and Harshini are close friends from childhood, grown in Kalapatti. The 17-year old girls belonged to the Dalit-community. The family resides in a colony of Kalapatti. Caste-based segregation is common in the villages of Tamil Nadu. Yellow flags with mango icons, signaling solidarity for the Upper caste-dominated AIADMK, decorate homes on the Gounder side of the village, which has about 3000 households. While the 300 Dalit families reside in either government-sponsored households or huts made of dried coconut leaves, the support of the Dalits is spread among the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.

Nandini, Devi and Harshini studied up to class 8, helping her family with construction work, primarily concrete laying, taking home ₹50 to ₹100 a day. Borrowing a mobile from her financially and caste-privileged friends, she spent a long time talking to Manikandan, moving on to a year-long relationship. Manikandan, aged 26, belonged to the dominant caste Chettiyar community, he was also a Hindu Munnani Union Secretary, who studied up to 10th standard and oversaw concrete laying work under the direction of the local leader of the Hindu Munnani, a fringe group formed in 1980. As they worked together, they went into a relationship. Manikandan's neighbor claimed he used to drop her in home after work during late nights and she also a waited outside the Dalit toilet outhouse to talk with him. Manikandan is also an individual with a criminal record with several lawsuits targeting him, including vandalization of 2 Churches and being a nuisance to the public.

PRESENT: 

"What about the aftermath of events?" asked Akhil.

Devi replied stating: "Sir. As they both grew intimate one day, Nandhini became pregnant with Manikandan's child."

"You can go now" said Akhil and Ravindar, after which she takes a leave from the office. To inquire Manikandan, Akhil calls him to come for the police station. But after a number of hours, two members of his village signed witness on behalf of him and he was allowed to go. The family accused the Hindu Munnani district Organiser of using his political clout to get the police to let Manikandan go home.

Furious with the dastardly outcome, Akhil becomes drunk the following day and goes to his home, where Deepthi is shocked to see him in this state. Consoling him, she takes him inside the house and he gets refreshed up.

She asked him, "What's this new habit Akhil? Will you drink like this?"

"What to do I asked Deepthi? Even for investigating a case, politicians intervene. I am not given freedom to solve a crime case. You know, how dejected am I?" As he is telling that, there is no solution left to handle this crime case, Deepthi reminds about the Article 15, which she have wrote during the college days.

She tells: "Akhil. I have a solution for this. We can solve this case easily."

He asked her, "What's that solution?"

"We can submit a copy of Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, telling the moral corruption and politics, involved in this case" said Deepthi, to which Akhil asked her: "What's the use in it?"

"Article 15 prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, religion, caste, or birthplace. So, if this is filed, the case would automatically get resolved." Deepthi said, after which he embraces her. He files a copy of Article 15 and posts on the police bulletin board.

The next day however, Manikandan absconds from Kalapatti. Akhil orders his team to catch him, within 24 hours period of time.

THREE DAYS LATER: 

To escape from the court of law and prevent getting punished, Manikandan sends some of his henchman to attack Deepthi, so that Akhil could fear.

However, Ravindar defends her and in the process, he kills two of Manikandan's henchman. Henceforth, Manikandan shifts to Karamadai Reserved forestry of Mettupalayam, where attempts suicide by ingesting poison in a cashew forest.

The police station nearby rescues him from the forests, with the help of some local villagers, who have seen him and admits him in a government hospital.

The Inspector of Karamadai branch asked him, "Tell da. Why did you go to that forest?"

"I was tracked back to the murder of Nandhini and Harshini. That's why, I attempted suicide sir" said Manikandan, with trips going on in his body.

"Killing is a crime. And committing suicide is a big crime. You could get life long imprisonment for this" said a constable, who noted down his confessions.

TWO DAYS LATER: 

Two days later, Karamadai Inspector informs about Manikandan and his suicide attempt to ASP Akhil, who comes along with Inspector Ravindar and Anil to the hospitals to instigate Mani.

"Tell da. How did you kill Nandhini and Harshini? Where did you take her on the eve of new year?" Anil asked him.

"I wanted to confess my crimes in front of the Village sir" said a guilt-ridden Manikandan, which they agreed for and takes him to the village, where VAO(Village Administrative Officer) Balamurugan sits.

There, Manikandan tells: "I killed Nandhini and Harshini, along with three of my friends, three days after the eve of New year."

04 JANUARY 2018: 

Nandhini and Harshini were abducted by Manikandan and his three friends: Gautham, Bhaskar and Loganathan. They took them towards Singanallur-Irugur roads. Reaching Sulur, they stopped the car in a secluded forest area.

Nandhini asked Manikandan, "You loved me sincerely right. You grew intimate with me. Are these things false then?"

"I just wanted to satisfy my lust and desire by having sex with you darling. Other than thar, I doesn't have any wish to marry you. Since, you belong to the Paraiyar caste. The lowest group. While, I belong to the higher caste."

"Hey. I am pregnant with your child da" said Nandhini to which, Manikandan stated: "Now-a-days, technogy have grown up darling. So, you can get an abortion easily from the doctor. Get your baby aborted."

"How dare you say so! For having sex alone, women like are needed for you ah? Then go and fuck your sister da. You idiot." An angry Harshini admonished and shouted at him.

Fueled up with rage and anger, Manikandan and his friends slapped Harshini. Reminding the same words, the four tied up the two in a chair and tortured them continuously for three days. This included repeated slapping and strangling.

Then, a naked Manikandan brutally rapes Harshini by making her naked, without showcasing mercy and reminding the words of her abusive language against his sister, he ruthlessly slits her throat. She dies on the spot, after struggling for her life, due to the excessive bleeding.

Afterwards, he and his friends raped Nandhini, without showcasing any kind of mercy that, she was pregnant. Having raped her, one of the men cut her genetalia with a blade and pulled out the foetus from her womb. Due to the excessive bleeding, Nandhini died on the spot.

PRESENT: 

"Then, we tied her hands, then tied her body with a stone and tossed it into a nearby well. In order to avoid further suspicion, I killed a dog and put its body in the same well." Manikandan said, after which Ravindar vomits nearby the dustbin, unable to digest the cruelty of the guys.

Akhil becomes furious and grabs his gun to kill Manikandan. But, Ravindar stops him saying, "Sir. Please control yourself. If we kill him, public and the media would accuse us."

"Leave Ravindar. What's the use to get him punished? He have removed the genetilia of that girl! He too came out from a mother's womb only right. Any humans would do this kind of cruel act? Will you all be quiet if this happened to one of your girls?" Akhil asked to everyone. However he calms down later on, and produces the trio to the court of law. Because, he reminded the words of Deepthi.

The partly decomposed body of Nandhini and Harshini was discovered in the dry village of Kalapatti, the next day by the police team. The two girls were found with their hands tied at her back and her clothes and jewellery stripped off. The victim's family cries out aloud upon seeing their dead body and questions the god for giving them, this kind of a tragic end. This emotionally breaks down Akhil.

With their dead bodies rescued, post-mortem of the girls were conducted in the Coimbatore Government Hospital(ESI). The Autospy results revealed that Nandhini was raped and murdered.

Outside the media questioned the politicians: "Sir. What's the result of the post-mortem examination?"

"On the basis of a post-mortem examination, which describes the level of the body's decay, the police said that her death happened two weeks before the corpse was discovered and that she had not been kept in unlawful detention. We were not persuaded by the reports." As the politician said like this, Akhil becomes furious. Since, he have worked hard to investigate this case and they have so easily degraded the reputation of Police department.

Advocate Ramkumar, an activist in Coimbatore, who had assembled a fact-finding committee, claimed that Nandhini had been seen with Manikandan till 3 January. The family claimed that the police were attempting to fix the death date as 5 January in order to cover up their inability to track down the victim.

Due to these protests, Akhil agrees to do what the family and the activists demands, after realizing the fact that, "Political game have started against the gang rape", and he could not prevent the ongoing issues.

Manikandan and his three friends are arrested on Goonda's Act and were jailed at Trichy Central prison by Akhil and Ravindar. They are given life-long imprisonment for their unforgivable crimes, that they have committed.

When returning back to his home, Akhil hears that, his wife have undergone into labour pain and goes to meet her in the hospitals. He gets a good news that, he have been blessed with a baby girl. As he goes in, he sees the reflection of his ex-lover Nivisha, smiling at him, along with Nandhini and Harshini.

EPILOGUE: 

The hashtag #Justice4Nandhini was trended on social media by thousands of people. 

District secretary of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Chinnadurai said that "there is no doubt that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Hindu Munnani are behind this". 

The Tamil Nadu Untouchability eradication front said that "the incident caused great turmoil throughout Tamil Nadu. But now, the police and the Bharatiya Janata Party are working together to dilute the case". 

Actor Kamal Haasan urged justice for the gang rape and murder and also apologized for voicing his concerns late. 

Music Director G. V. Prakash Kumar also urged for the justice for the victims and proper punishment for the criminals in social media.

The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi demanded severe punishment for the criminals. 

Shri Krishna said that a woman is like water, she merges with anyone she meets. Lord Shri Krishna said that women erase their existence like salt and also bind the family together with their love and love and respect. She never lets her husband face any kind of problem and always keeps the family happy. So, Let's respect women and their emotions.

Chapter 2 and 3 to be continued. The said chapters would have different storyline and doesn't continue from here.