The Mystery Of The Masked Man

"I can't believe this," said Inspector Yeshwant, "I have witnessed fifteen dead bodies this week. The victims were all young men in their early twenties and thirties. They were castrated and tortured to death."

Sub-Inspector Patil added his input, "All of them had one thing in common. They were rapists. They had been acquitted for the lack of evidence."

The inspector lit a cigarette and thought about the criminal. He did not leave behind any clue. There were no fingerprints at all.

Patil asked him,"What are you thinking sir?"

Yeshwant replied,"Our culprit has a fair knowledge of criminal procedure. He or she must be the police or a criminal lawyer." Patil nodded in agreement.

The telephone bell rang. The inspector dreaded answering the call. "Hello, Inspector Yeshwant speaking," he said in a gruff voice.

The caller had a note of panic in his voice. "Good Afternoon, Sir. My name is Aravind Kumar. I am calling from Nehru Nagar. I am a daily wage laborer working for the building construction. I discovered three nude bodies of young men near the site. I nearly vomited when I saw their genitals chopped off. Please come immediately." The inspector quickly wrote down the address of the crime scene. He asked Patil and a couple of constables to accompany him. They reached the spot within half an hour. A lean middle-aged man was waiting for them. He asked them to follow him. They witnessed a horrific scene giving them goosebumps. A couple of stray dogs feasted upon the severed body parts. The inspector drove the dogs away from the bodies. He put on his gloves and checked the bodies thoroughly. There was no sign of any struggle. Yeshwant was completely baffled. He took the pictures of the bodies before sending them for the autopsy. He searched for a possible clue in the area. He came across a mobile hidden amongst the bush. He picked it up with his handkerchief and put it inside the evidence bag.

The police commissioner called for an emergency meeting of the officers. He addressed them," I need your cooperation to curb these gruesome murders. The culprit has to be apprehended as soon as possible."

Inspector Yeshwant resumed his duty after attending the meeting. He desperately needed a cup of tea for his splitting headache. A young boy brought tea for all the policemen. Yeshwant gave the boy extra money as a tip.

He scanned the photos of the three victims. He entered them into the criminal database. The dead victims had a criminal record. He identified them as Raja Bhushan and Naren. They had raped and murdered an infant of eight months a few days ago. They saw her lying alone in the cradle. They took her out and satisfied their carnal desire. The baby cried in pain. They strangled her to death.

Unfortunately, a woman saw them and alerted everyone. They were thrashed and handed over to the police. They were let out on bail due to political influence.

The inspector was tempted to close the case and celebrate their death. He hated men who preyed upon women and children to satisfy their lust. He went through the porn videos and nude pictures of various models in the victim's mobile. One particular video attracted his attention. When he clicked on it, he saw that there were fifteen men in a torture chamber.

They were tied up in a chair and stripped of all clothes. A masked man advanced towards them. He had a hot smoldering iron rod in his hand. He let out a villainous laugh. He said," Welcome to the living hell, my dear friends. I am going to felicitate you for your noble deeds. You deserve a Nobel Prize for discovering new methods of rape and child abuse." The men feared for their lives. The masked man scorched their genitals with the hot iron rod. They screamed in agony. He chuckled over their misery. He taunted them by saying," There goes your manhood down the drain. You derived great pleasure in tormenting women and children. You didn't spare even a newborn kid for your lust. You are a bunch of cowards."

One of the men started pleading for mercy. He said,"Please spare our lives. We have a family dependent on us." The masked man shouted,"Don't give me that bloody excuse. Did you ever spare a thought for those whose family you ruined? I don't care whether you have aged parents or a wife and a kid. Your death should serve as a deterrent to all the potential rapists."

He took out an empty syringe and injected air bubbles into their veins. He killed all of them with this lethal injection. After ensuring their death, he took out a butcher's knife and severed their organs. The video ended with this climax.

Inspector Yeshwant needed fresh air to rejuvenate himself. He switched off the mobile. Sub Inspector Patil entered with a long list of call records. He said,"These are the call details of the victims. Seven of them belonged to the same gang. They had several criminal cases pending in the court. Rest of the men were petty thieves and chain snatchers. I can't imagine how they resorted to rape and child abuse."

"I want you to inquire about them in their neighborhood. Take as many constables as you want. Keep me informed about your progress," said Yeshwant. He gave him their addresses from the criminal database and their photos. Patil saluted him and left for his mission with five constables. Yeshwant had a glass of water before resuming his investigation. He started going through the call records. He marked two mobile numbers common to both the groups.

He tried calling one of the numbers which did not exist. He was successful in getting the second number connected. A young lady attended the call. " Hello, MLA Vikas Raut's residence," she said,"How can I help you?" Yeshwant disconnected the call. He stood transfixed for a moment before recovering his senses. He wondered why an MLA would risk his position by having ties with goons?

He listed the MLA as one of the suspects. He wanted to find out the connection between the criminals and the MLA. He had a brilliant idea. Yeshwant called up the MLA and told him about anonymous threats to his life. He offered to be an undercover officer and stay with him. Vikas readily gave his consent to the proposal. Yeshwant informed the assistant police commissioner Deven Kishore about the latest development in the case. He got the assistant commissioner's approval for his plan.

Patil entered with his constables. He was panting for breath. He had a glass of water. Yeshwant said,"You seem to be bursting with information. Let's hear what you have to say."

Patil said,"Seven of these criminals lived in the same locality. They were Babban, Mahesh, Munna, Gotya, Shyam, Deepak and Salim. They disappeared after two days of their acquittal in a gang-rape case. We learned from their family members about their habits. They frequently visited a dance bar called Kings Club near Goregaon. On the night of their disappearance, they were in the club.

The Bartender told us that a masked man and a beautiful woman met them. He had seen the woman spiking their drinks. She paid him ten thousand rupees to keep mum. They abducted the bad guys with the help of several goons. They tortured the group to death. Rest of the villains got kidnapped much before them. The Masked man caught four of them outside a liquor shop. They were fully drunk. He offered them a lift which they accepted. These four were Sunil, Mangesh, Nitin and Mukund. The remaining ones Ajay, Keshav, Rahul and Rajesh were playing cards. A stranger stepped out of a luxury car and approached them for direction. He enticed them to his casino and had them mugged. They were executed simultaneously with other prisoners."Yeshwant showed him the video of their execution. Patil clapped his hand over his mouth to stop himself from puking. Yeshwant added,"I have a surprise for you. These fifteen guys knew each other. They were working for the same boss. Their gang leader is none other than our beloved MLA Vikas Raut. I went through the call records and found his number.

This MLA is up to no good. I suspect he is involved in criminal activities. I am going to stay with him as an undercover officer. I will keep you updated so that you can follow him. I need detailed information on the court cases against Vikas and his men. You may go now. Take care of the police station in my absence. I will be going tomorrow to keep an eye on our honorable friend."

Patil returned within an hour with the files. Yeshwant opened Vikas's file and started reading it. Vikas was involved in many cases from kidnapping to rape and murder. The narcotics department had seized several cartels of heroin and ganja from his office. Unfortunately, someone swapped them for salt and sugar. He was immediately released. Yeshwant's eyes popped open when he saw the name of the arresting officer. It was his idol and mentor, Prakash Kumar. Vikas was apprehended many times. His wealthy father in law always came to his rescue. Vikas was acquitted every time for the lack of evidence. Yeshwant stared at the file. He realized that Vikas had an accomplice in the police department. Yeshwant wanted to find out the traitor and kill him. He closed the file on Vikas and went through the cases against his goons.

Babban and his friends had gang-raped the wife and daughter of an ex-police officer. The witnesses testified in favor of the goons. They walked away scot-free. He continued to browse through another criminal record. Four of them had gang-raped a German national. They walked out as free birds during the trial. They labeled her as a whore and humiliated her. Ajay and his friends abducted women and forced them into prostitution. Yeshwant called Patil and asked him to go through the cases. Patil couldn't believe his eyes after reading them. "I must act quickly, or we will lose our culprit," said Yeshwant. He asked five constables to disguise themselves as bodyguards and accompany him.

He went to Vikas's house on the following day.

Yeshwant was quite impressed with the palatial bungalow of Vikas. He pressed the doorbell and waited outside for a response. A butler opened the door and cast him a furious glance. He barked at him,"Who are you? What do you want? Master is busy. He cannot entertain unwanted guests." Yeshwant was taken aback by his rude behavior. He produced his ID card for identification. The servant apologized to him and let him in. Vikas was talking to someone over the phone. He saw Yeshwant and disconnected the call. He greeted him with a warm smile and a hug. Yeshwant couldn't believe that a warm and genial person like him could be a criminal.

He suddenly remembered a well-known proverb 'Don't judge a book by its cover.'

Vikas was in his early forties. He sported a salt and pepper hairstyle. He had a square jawline with well-defined cheekbones. He was tall and very handsome. "Welcome to my humble house, my dear friend," said Vikas,"Hope you didn't have any difficulty in locating my house. I am grateful to you for providing me with adequate security. You can stay here as long as you like." Yeshwant thanked him for his hospitality. Vikas showed him around the house. Yeshwant found nothing suspicious. Vikas got a call on his mobile. He excused himself after showing Yeshwant his room. He returned after five minutes. He said,"I am sorry. I have to attend an important party meeting. I can't take you along. Madhav will take care of all your needs. I will be back by afternoon. Bye."

Yeshwant was waiting for this moment. He had three hours at his disposal. He searched every nook and corner of the house. He decided to look out for a secret room. He took out the portraits to find any hidden mechanism. He felt dejected. He entered the library. He tapped on the walls. He felt excited at discovering a tiny switch hidden amongst the bookshelves. He pressed it, and the shelf slid to his left. The trap door opened automatically. Yeshwant was horrified to see plenty of guns, explosives, and drugs. He came across a paper lying on the table. He picked it up to read. His eyes widened in horror as it was a blueprint for The Legislative Assembly. There were markings on different locations. "Oh my goodness!" he cried out," This MLA rascal is in league with the terrorists." "Well done, Inspector!" said Vikas with an evil grin on his face. Yeshwant turned around and was shocked to find his adversary.

Vikas added with a smirk," Hope you have got all the information about my business. I have a small reward for your daredevilry." He took out a pistol from his pocket and pointed it towards him.

"Wait for me," said another voice. The Assistant police commissioner appeared to face Yeshwant. The ACP laughed and retorted,"You didn't expect me to be here, did you? I know you must have figured out everything except my involvement with Vikas."

Yeshwant laughed like a maniac. He said," I knew that Vikas had an informer and a loyal dog in the police force. You abused your power to exonerate him from all the charges."

The ACP chuckled and commented,"You are too clever for a policeman. Why don't you join us? Don't be a fool like your mentor Prakash. He arrested my dear friend Vikas. I helped him seek revenge from Prakash. We hired some goons to rape his wife and daughter. We proved that they were whores and framed innocent men. Prakash's wife and daughter committed suicide."

Yeshwant lost his temper, "I would prefer death rather than join your nefarious activities. Both of you are bloodsucking parasites. You are a disgraceful officer, ACP. You are a faithful dog wagging his tail before his criminal master. I guess you have already sold your conscience to him."

"Stop talking," commanded Vikas,"You kill him. I will pin the blame on him that he viciously attacked me. You will be a hero for saving me by gunning him down."

The ACP took out his pistol and aimed at Yeshwant. He pressed the trigger, but there was no bullet fired. He was shocked. He had loaded his gun before reporting on duty. He looked at Vikas for help. The latter gave him another pistol. The ACP kept on firing, but it was of no use. Yeshwant stood like a rock. He smiled at them sardonically. He said, "I have a small surprise for both of you. Mr. Dev Kishore, I instructed your maidservant to remove them. She is not an ordinary woman. She is senior Inspector Sarla Sharma, from The Crime Branch. I knew that you were the black sheep in our department. Sub- Inspector Patil saw you coming out of Sheela's lodge with a prostitute. He reported everything to me. I sent a few of my trusted men to follow you. They told me about your underhand business deals. I would have arrested you immediately. I wanted to meet your boss. I knew you were spying upon us with the newly installed CCTV camera. Whenever we planned to take any criminal into custody, you tipped them off. You had also intimidated the poor witnesses to lie. Let me show you something before both of you die." He showed them a video clip where the police had killed all his cronies.

The police searched his garment factory and private office. They unearthed explosives, weapons, and drugs from the factory as well as his office. The income tax department conducted a raid on the ACP's house. They recovered stolen goods and cash worth lakhs of rupees. ACP Deven Kishore was sweating profusely.

Vikas remained calm. He said, "The game is not over yet. My humble servant will take care of your death." He called out the sinister looking Madhav. Madhav entered the room and aimed his pistol towards Yeshwant. Vikas grinned and said,"Farewell, my dear friend. I am like a phoenix. I will rise from my ash." The ACP heaved a sigh of relief but sobered down after hearing Vikas. The latter said, "You will have to join Yeshwant, Dev. You know too much. I can't keep you alive."

Dev said," But I am your friend. I have helped you many times. You can't do this to me." Vikas ordered Madhav to shoot them. Madhav suddenly trained his guns on Vikas. He said,"I am not your servant, Vikas. I am Senior Inspector Madhav Kamble from CBI."

Yeshwant said, "I have another shocking information for you. Have you read about the mysterious masked man? He killed all your agents including the three latest victims." Vikas simply nodded his head. "I am not concerned with their death," said Vikas with an indifference. Yeshwant chuckled,"I am the masked man who killed your gang members. I did it to teach you a lesson. Women are not the objects of lust. You can't impose yourselves to violate their modesty. Your men did not even spare the innocent children. You sent your gang members to rape my mother and sister. You humiliated them. My mother and sister committed suicide. My father Mr. Prakash passed away last week. You are answerable to the people of this great nation, India."

He shot them dead without wasting a moment. Madhav forwarded the confessions of Vikas and Dev to Yeshwant.

He went to meet the police commissioner with Yeshwant. They discussed the day's events. The commissioner applauded him for foiling the terrorist bid to attack the Legislative assembly. He also appreciated Yeshwant for efficiently handling the rape cases.

After reaching home, he stood before his father's portrait. He shed tears for his family. He said, "I have avenged your death. I miss you, dad. I really miss Mom and Sunita. I need your blessings."

He set out for Haridwar on the following day to immerse their ashes in the Ganges.