"Ma thinks I'm always lying." "Do you think I'm a liar ?" "Not at all, when ever did you lie ?" " Grandpa, I didn't slap Ramesh" "Then... why is his mother complaining ?" "You must've done something ?" "I just touched his cheek, so lightly." " No, not by the look of that cheek... that one was one big ugly welt" "Keep your hands off Ramesh's cheeks." "And you get home in time" "loom out" "Fix the lapel mikes." "Cut the noise" "I hope you're comfortable, sir." "Technical problems, you see" "Understandable." "Proceed when you can" "Right away, sir." "Shall we...?" "So Mr Tiwari, from where did this chain of events originate ?" "The stoy begins in Gorakhpur." "The contention was railroad contracts" "Railroad development contracts worth millions are issued here" "Mafia don Tarkeswari Singh had a major say in these contracts" "In the 90s, the gang was challenged by a new rival, Don Gajraj Singh" "Ty to understand, Tarkeswari, he deserves to get the contracts for the job in his area" "Why must you make a grab for these ?" "Gazipur and Balia are his, So who gets the railroad repair contracts ?" "You ?" "No, now it's time we shared the spoils" "Are you crazy ?" " Hear me out, Tarkeswari" "Now you hear me out." "Eveyone knows, evey railroad contract is mine... be it in Gorakhpur or Gazipur." "And I fought long and hard for what's mine" "And it's been a decade and no one has taken from me what's mine" "And the ones who tried, have died" "You tell these upstarts to mind their limits let's go." " No please, not in a huff" "I am leaving." "I came here only because of you, Mr Dwivedi." "Excuse me" "Now what ?" "He'll take some convincing, yes he's stubborn, but he'll understand" "Until then ?" " Restraint." "Patience does it... we mustn't let things get out of hand" "Ajay... tea." " Put it down." "I'll have it later" "And biscuits" "Ma... you'll tire yourself slogging all day like this... sit with me" "I'm not yet done with the unpacking." " It's only a day since we arrived" "You want to get over eveything in a day ?" "Twenty years has transformed this city" "I've come back to a different city... even the language has lost its grace" "Nothing's like what it used to be" "You get to bear the brunt of my frequent transfers" "Fourteenth posting in eight years, you're doing fine... got to pay this price for your integrity... dereliction of duty is easiest to get away with" "So how do you find lucknow ?" " Fine" "I've had a long relationship with this city." "Here's where I began" "In those days, one hoarding even read..." ""Smile, because you're in lucknow"" "look, you're smiling for real" "What's that ?" "A few paper-cuttings of reports related to Tarkeswari Singh's murder" "If these are a few, what'd be more ?" "As usual, you seem to have researched it in-depth already, and now, you're looking for a discussion, are you ?" "Secretay to chief minister on line one" "Yes Mr Gupta ?" " Kapoor, the principal secretay... and I want a discussion about the big parade" "Sure, I'm in a meeting now..." " At ten thirty" "Three boys." "Sixty rounds." "Firing lasted some 30 seconds" "They never had a chance" "All rimless." "Fired from carbines" "Rivaly over university elections." " Semi-automatic in university elections" ""Smile, because now you're in lucknow"" "In 1991... just after the assembly elections... lucknow was a hotbed of political turmoil" "Out of the power struggle emerged a new chief minister... and his lieutenants, who assumed power" "A sirocco blew over the political landscape... and all was moving well each at its own pace" "The World Trade Organisation I've heard about, but... about international trade, I know scant little" "Yes Ma...?" " Can you make her out ?" "Please, let it be" "Come on, ty to, you're a policeman" "What Ajay Kumar, this is Anamika, Major Subodh Kant's daughter" "Oh, you're all grown up" "The major telephoned yesterday, after reading your interview in the papers, he's impressed with your replies, and I asked him, how's your little daughter" "That had him in splits" "And here's the little one" "Keep yourselves company, I'll rustle up a snack" "Kidney beans are still your favourite ?" " Yes, always" "Meeting up after so long..." "almost twenty years ?" "Yes" "So... you do something ?" "So what do you do ?" "lecturer in economics" "In lucknow university" "Too economical with words for a lecturer" ""She has the airs"" ""Now that the one with airs is here..."" ""the fragrance of jasmine will linger all night"" ""The lovely bride..."" ""The lovely bride..."" ""is as striking as lightning"" ""Her veil..."" "What need was there to kill Akhilesh ?" "We decided !" "No fratricide !" "Don't lose your head" "When we decided on that our priorities were different" "Then a word of honour is of no value ?" "None." "If anything's worthwhile, it's only the business" "For the sake of business, we can do anything... anything" "Anything !" " Suboo... look Gajraj, it's simple, bloodletting is what nobody wants" "Because nobody stands to lose, except we and we've been in business for so long" "Our interests are demarcated, a system has been put in place" "If you look at it that way, each of us is powerful" "Then where is the problem ?" " That's where the problem is... eveyone is powerful" "No one can be reined in" "This has got to be changed." "A new order will come to be" "Only one will reign... unequalled and omnipotent" "His power will be ultimate" "And you assume that we'll abdicate in your favour ?" "No" "To which end, you must be denuded of your powers" "So what do you expect from me ?" "This Gajraj can do anything" "He speaks strangely, of power struggle and supremacy" "He doesn't listen, he has gone mad" "You're new to town" "So it's our duty to draw your attention in the right direction... whether or not you may care to recognise us" "Narain Pandey" "Mafia don, active in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh" "Accused of murder, attempt to murder, abductions, extortion and gun-running l9 criminal cases registered" "What was that about recognition ?" "That's a twenty year-old file" "Those allegations are false" "I'm committed to social causes and the world knows that" "Why are you after me ?" "I only came to tell you Gajraj's stoy" "Gajraj's stoy and yours..." "are any different ?" "It's the system you have created... mafia dons like you and Tarkeswari Singh" "Now Gajraj emerges out of it" "And the sole contention is..." "he wishes to run your system his way" "Someone's doing to you what you did to someone else" "Yesterday's boss was Narain Pandey." "Now, Gajraj Singh ; then, someone else" "Your stories are all the same." " You realise the implications ?" "Fully well." "It's private turf." "The police will do nothing" "So Gajraj goes scot free ?" "No concern for social workers of your ilk" "What are you searching for inside the dictionay for so long ?" "There's this word, Ma." "Supremacy" "Supremacy, as in struggle for supremacy" "The vey words he said." " Said... who ?" "Someone who is a social activist" "What's a social activist got to do with struggle for supremacy ?" "This one has a lot to do, he's a different kind of activist" "Do you know the meaning of supremacy ?" " Yes, it's in political science books" "Supremacy as in absolute power... when assumed, is not to shared" "It can only be seized" "Absolute power is his, who can cower anyone into obedience, and he makes happen, whatever he wishes... on his terms" "Two things in common" "Firstly, these murders are connected to railroad contracts" "Secondly, the brutality in these assassinations" "Whole magazines were pumped in, where two bullets could've been enough" "The message is, opposition kills" "Gangsters after all, Iet them get killed" "Good souls, for doing what we can't" "I beg to differ, sir." "Matters aren't as simple as they seem" "The victims included police informers" "Happens all the time" "Then it's going wrong, sir" "And like you always tell me, what's wrong is always wrong" "At ease" "How many men with Gajraj ?" " Three men, four months ago" "Now he has twenty one." "Some are already in police records" "Some are outsourced from other gangs, mostly university students" "Same old stoy, university students" "I wonder at times... how these criminals can brainwash even an educated mind" "After all this hullabaloo over education... this is what has become of you ?" "I've tried" "But no one ever gave a chance to do anything" "Ever wondered why you weren't given even a chance ?" "Because you are powerless" "look up" "Who'll give you a break if you're powerless ?" "There are no chances for the helpless, their chances are stolen from them" "You see this man ?" "And the one standing over there ?" "None of them ever got a chance, so what's the big deal ?" "It's what has been happening all along and it'll go on happening forever... not a chance is given" "But one thing still sets you apart from them" "Unlike you, they decided not to remain helpless, and not to take insults." "If need be, they'll answer taunts... with bullets" "But that was their decision" "Now, question is, what do you wish ?" "I told you a month ago, kill him" "He's dangerous !" "But who cares to listen to me ?" "Calm down, I've spoken to Kanpur" "In a day or two it'll be arranged" "If you only gave me one signal, I would've shot the bastard" "In Narain's death, the last pillar of the old order has crumbled" "The new overlords added an edge to the old order, unleashing a headline-hitting saga of abductions, ransom, contract murders" "Terror ran rife in the world of crime, the game was getting dangerous by far" "Infamous railway contractor and ex-legislator Vijendra Singh... shot to death, in broad daylight, inside his residence" "On record, are comments by Mr Mishra, ex-minister for law and order" "If mere enactment of legislation could achieve the intent of the law... the county would not have come to this" "It takes an understanding of ground realities and necessities, and the earlier we realise it, the better" "Mr Dwivedi, do arrange for a meeting with this Gajraj" "You don't want to mess with him, Mr Mishra" "He's a cynic, never speaks his mind and ends up doing these bizarre acts" "Then he is the man of the hour." " What...?" "He will prove to be vey effective in the political fracas that's shaping up" "But Mr Mishra..." " Dwivedi... not all battles can be fought within the confines of the political perimeter" "Strange solutions are sometimes sought" "Mr Ajay, here's the volume you wanted." "Contemporay Issues in Organised Crime" "It was tough finding this one" "Hello, how are you ?" "Hello, and how are you ?" " Fine looking for a book ?" " No... my students wanted help, just being of assistance..." "Coffee... do you drink coffee ?" "Yes" "So... can you join me for a coffee..." "would you like to ?" "Yes... but my students" "One too many" "My policemen too" "You aren't visiting us..." "Ma often speaks of you" "Your coffee" ""The heart is mute"" ""So pour out..."" ""your feelings"" ""Bring it to your lips"" ""Sunset..."" "_ _ Or sunrise," ""you are in my heart..."" ""evey moment..."" ""my love"" ""Don't shy away"" ""Don't sneak away"" ""The heart is mute"" ""Pour out your feelings"" ""Silence..."" "_ _ _ _ says..." ""things are..."" ""going too far..."" ""my love"" ""My thoughts..."" ""you rule"" ""You invade my dreams"" ""In my hair, I find you"" ""In my arms, I find you"" ""In nights of loneliness..."" ""I find you"" ""You are the air I breathe"" ""My heart beats for you"" ""The heart is mute"" ""Pour out your feelings"" ""Don't shy away"" ""Don't sneak away"" ""The heart is mute"" ""Pour out your feelings"" "Fresh development." "Case of carjacking at gunpoint on the expressway... by Gajraj and his men." " How many men ?" "Five, including Gajraj." "The driver resisted, shot with an AK 4l" "Bullet in the leg" "Anything serious ?" " No sir, routine" "Gajraj is in Benares." "That's his address" "Confirmed news ?" " Pukka information, sir" "The house belongs to a convicted felon, he also happens to be Gajraj's uncle" "And he's a swine." "I wish I'd shoot him" "They used this house last month when the ex-legislator was killed" "Do we know the topography of this area ?" " Yes sir, some basic information" "So what's on your minds ?" "I'd rather that we stuck to the proper procedure" "What is the procedure ?" "We take the local police into confidence and we plan a joint operation like the time when we went to town with our operation." "In fact sir, tv crews were at the railroad station for the lucknow Police." "Even gave us... live coverage." " So we ignore a well-laid out system... in total disregard for right procedure ?" " Don't expect results out of procedure" "Solanki..." "Yadav is right" "The local police must be involved." " But sir..." "But we have no such information" "We have our sources." " Wonderful" "Your sources inside my jurisdiction" "Well you see Mr Ajay, we're in the midst of a high security deployment in Benares" "So there's a dearth of police personnel." "But your mission is as important" "Assistant Superintendent Tripathi will join you" "I'm sure you have adequate forces" "But tell me, is Gajraj Singh a criminal of such import... that it warrants the presence of a Senior Superintendent of Police ?" "Yes, it warrants." "And some habit" "Then change your habit !" "Officers like you give us a hard time" "Dwivedi was here." "You were asleep" "He wants you in lucknow." " Why, for what ?" "Wants to set up a meeting" "With this one" "Ramnath Mishra." " He said it's urgent, something important" "Want to meet ?" "But tell him, the meeting isn't happening in lucknow." "Over here" "In Benares" "You think he'll come here ?" "If it's necessay for him, he'll come anywhere" "The string of failed encounters continued for weeks" "Operations were mounted in Gonda, Azamgarh and Allahabad" "There were also stray incidents of success" "But the efforts of the police had little restraining effect... on the activities of the mafia in Eastern Uttar Pradesh" "The powers that be in the government... castigated the spirited efforts of the lucknow Police" "Why is the police failing to match expectations ?" "Failure or successes of operations cannot be the basis of analysing... police initiative." "Honestly, we're tying our best" "Are such initiatives being marred by the police-politician-mafia nexus ?" "That was Ajay Kumar, Special Superintendent of Police... on the crackdown on criminals" "Dateline October 14, 199l" "Seven unidentified persons wearing police uniform... forced their way into the residence of legislator, Mr Jagatwedi... and misbehaved with the legislator and his family members" "You are requested to suspend the responsible personnel... in order to prevent such infractions against honest politicians" "That report says about all there was" "Only missing information is, that night..." "Gajraj Singh happened to be the legislator's guest" "If we could only complete the search, we would've nabbed him" "The Inspector General of Police intervened" "Despite all its flaws, this city is politically vey active" "Evey aspect of life in this city is intertwined." "Here's a system... which prescribes evey procedure" "In my mind, we ought to dwell upon the outcomes... whatever the procedure" "This special force has no juridical responsibilities, no civil duties." "It's an administrative, legal quagmire" "Are you aware ?" " Sir, it's a new approach, it has its advantages" "If such a force is ratified, what of jurisdictions of the police precincts ?" "Are they to cease to function ?" "Officers who are beyond reproach, can be committed to the sole agenda... of wiping out organised crime, licensed to use preferred means" "We're bound by legislation." "This force has no space in our system" "Sir, let this special force be granted state-wide jurisdiction, to allow freedom of movement within the state without any need for permits" "The force will report directly to... the Assistant Director General, law and Order." "That's you" "Only a few provisos to existing systems can make way for this force" "Provisos...?" "The Assistant Director General says that our system is incompetent ?" "Even the constitution is amended using provisos" "That doesn't mean that the constitution is incompetent ?" "Sir, if I may so appeal, for a special purpose... let us assign a special team of police officers" "Mr Assistant Director General, to maintain law and order... you may use such personnel and procedure as are prescribed in the system" "The new irrigation minister's daughter-in-law needs security cover" "Will be done, as you say." "But only cash won't make it work" "What else ?" "The tender for the twin-track railroad between Gorakhpur and Deoria... has a bidder representing me." "He ought to bag the contract" "What !" "How can anyone guarantee the contract, what's this, child's-play ?" "It's never happened before !" "If it's never happened before... then it will happen now." " Just because you want it ?" "Mr Mishra, make him see reason !" "Do it the way he wants." " But Mr Mishra..." "Gajraj, you've got the overview." "You'll get the details tomorrow" "What is the matter Ramji ?" " A trunk lying outside the store-room" "I'll take care of it." "Keep it here." " Vey well" "Major Ravi Kumar is accused of deserting his post instead of confronting the enemy" "Bullets were flying all around, Prabha." "Corpses lay strewn eveywhere" "Black is the colour of dead blood, I discovered." "You understand, Prabha ?" "But never tell this to Ajay." "You won't, will you ?" "Ma..." "Papa isn't opening his door." "Will you ask Papa to open the door" "This tea is so insipid it belongs to the gutters" "I think he sold out to Mishra, he won't let you taste anything sweet" "Stop staring and go and tell the opposition... that in the elections this time, Mr Thakur will defeat Mishra soundly" "Which room is Mr Thakur's ?" "This one" "look what they're writing in the papers ... I'm guilty for Thakur's murder ?" "Anarchy is the chief minister's responsibility" "Are we framing a reply to this or aren't we ?" "This government is reduced to a joke, have you read what's in that ?" "Yes sir, but these four papers are the opposition's mouth-pieces" "They enjoy no political standing, right sir ?" "Clearly, a parochial interpretation instead of objective analysis" "Right sir ?" "May I speak now ?" "Yes sir" "What's printed isn't so much the question... as the fact of what happened" "Now question is, what are we doing to stop this unbridled anarchy ?" "We are doing our best to apprehend the perpetrators" "Then, ensure Mr Principal Secretay... that the efforts are honest" "I've told you eveything on phone, what more do you wish to know ?" "In the deposition, you have stated that you walked out... and was surrounded by four gun-toting men... who bundled you into their car and moved off." "Can you describe... the place where you were held ?" " Some village, most likely... the rooms were mud-walled." " Anything else you can recall ?" "Excuse me, I'm ill." "The doctor advises me to avoid stress" "How was the ransom paid ?" "They summoned my accountant to a parking lot in Delhi" "Gajraj was there to receive it in person" "Settled at ?" " What...?" "Settled at how much ?" "3.l million" "_ust 3.l million ?" "Sir, 3.l million is a lot of cash" "Maybe... you are right" "But the police was ready" "Had you co-operated with us, we might've succeeded in arresting them" "For members of my family, my life being more precious... they wished to see me alive, not wrapped in a shroud" "By 11=03=09 am, the police control room had news of the shootout at the hotel" "Gajraj and co needed 5 minutes at least, to clear of a 190-metre crowded sidewalk" "Notably..." " Understood leaving the hotel at 11=03 am, they reach their car at 11=08" "At 11=05 am, Gajraj telephoned the dead man's brother, told him about the murder and warned him off a railroad contract" "Interestingly, this call originated from a cellphone" "Impossible !" "It isn't even ten days since cellular services began in lucknow" "How could he have found a phone ?" "He has one and he's making good use of it" "How are we to track cellular conversations ?" "landlines can be brought under surveillance, but cellphones, how ?" "That was a poser for the man in charge of law and order... who was aware that the police were unprepared... for this new weapon in the hands of the underworld." "Surprisingly... the until the mid-nineties the police across the county... had failed to place cellular phones under surveillance." "In this test... of grappling with this new technology, lucknow Police was at a loss" "Each cell is a magnetic area, which is defined by transmission towers" "Transmission towers in cities use tri-directional antennae, on highways, it's bi-directional." "The base station is a transmitter" "Sizes of magnetic fields depend upon transmission wattage of base stations" "Mr Solanki, one poser" "I can't comprehend a bit" "The GSM cell structure is hexagonal" "Discussions after a peaceful tea break" "I don't think I have the appetite, sir" "Get on with your tea, please" "Syed, you got something to say ?" " One problem, sir" "Our requirements are vey specific" "These telecom experts are engrossed with technical details" "We don't need any of this." "Actually, we need someone... who can explain cellular technology in the parlance we use" "I can explain, but if you wish to understand... you must attend the classroom regularly" "We'll go over it once again look... it's shaped like interconnected little hexagons in a beehive... just the way GSM communications networks are designed... enabling transit across points using an audio trigger" "Be back in class tomorrow." "We will discuss Wll" "Mr Tiwari..." " I'm late for my next class" "Can we discuss this later ?" " Possibly not" "The vey next day, I'm probationed on research, and given a spacious office at the police headquarters" "One table, one tape recorder, two telephones, three mobile phones" "From the university libray, I had picked up... all available books and journals on cellular technology" "Daylong meetings with telecom experts, and night-times for research" "A replicated SIM of the number we want to tap... what I mean, is a matching SIMcard... is inserted in this cellphone." "We will be able to eavesdrop... without affecting the subscriber's bill" "And so began electronic surveillance" "We placed the mobilephones of Gajraj and his men under surveillance" "And we began monitoring all numbers calling to and from these numbers" "It took us time and we had our share of mistakes" "But gradually, the police caught up with organised crime's new gadget" "Four encounters in eighteen days, what's come over lucknow police ?" "Not a single outsider knew that he was coming in, still the police gets to know" "Someone must've spotted him, he was one for flashy outfits" "No" "This encounter had to be pre-planned" "The police knew when and where" "How come they got the information ?" "Pay him off, what's there to ask ?" "No, I'm with Gajraj now." "We'll take time" "Get him to call me" "I want him at the Bata showroom in two hours." "Alone" "What happened...?" "let's talk later" "Careful what you talk" "Vey careful" "How are you keeping ?" " I'm fine Anamika, no reason for wory" "The body reminds one of the ageing years" "One good outcome of this illness is getting to meet you" "You had all but forgotten about us." " I was here the day before" "You were asleep" "Maybe Solanki... give me a break, will you please...?" "Who's speaking ?" "I am Anamika." " We know you, the university teacher" "You tell your policeman, we won't spare that bastard, we'll bump him off... so while there's time, let him choose between a transfer or a lucknow-funeral" "No one can save him." "You understand ?" "Anamika, what happened ?" "Whose phone ?" "Nothing, just a wrong number" "These kinds of calls keep coming" "But they're no-good folks" "Thus the need for men like us to fix no-gooders" "It's late, I should be leaving" "Mr Hariprasad Singh is one non-resident Indian industrialist... who has carved a niche for himself in the European and American markets" "Despite his great success, he has kept his ties with his motherland intact" "The government of Uttar Pradesh is therefore felicitating him... for his rare contribution" "Before conferring this honour on him..." "I'd like to tell you a stoy" "There's this hamlet close to lucknow." "Peepiya" "There lived a poor farmer in the village" "One of his sons was vey good at his studies... but he couldn't pursue his studies owing to the bad financial situation at home" "There was also a landlord in the hamlet." "A vey kind soul" "He came forward to bear the expenses of the upbringing of the poor farmer's son" "From school to college, the poor farmer's son completed his studies... with the landlord's only son." "From childhood to adolescence... the landlord's son never ever reminded the farmer's son of his humble bearings" "He treated him like a brother ladies and gentlemen... that poor farmer's son is today your Chief Minister" "And today, at this moment... he's about to felicitate the landlord's son" "Kapoor, it's a stroke of good-fortune for this county... that its affairs are not run by politicians... but by bureaucrats like us" "Else, you and I know what would have happened of the system here" "Never mind." "I'll make it." "Thank you" "Despite his goodness, the Chief Minister is today in a weak position" "The ruling party and its alliances have only 218 members... in a legislative assembly of 405 members" "It's indeed a weak position" "Milk?" " Yes" "I've received an offer from Ramnath Mishra" "He wants to join the ruling alliance with 29 of his members... and all his criminals in the state." "I don't need to tell you... that an alliance with him is vey necessay for us" "However, he has a condition" "Tea." " Thank you" "Over tea, the chief secretay spoke of the transfer of SSP Ajay Kumar" "It was a small price to pay for forging a new political alliance... and a necessity, given the scenario of the emerging political future" "The ADG of lucknow knew vey well that these orders could not be turned down" "This transfer is crucial for all of us" "It's okay if you have already made up your mind, sir, but, if we have to... effect the transfer of an officer like Ajay Kumar... to garner the support of a politician like Ramnath Mishra..." "I..." "I just don't understand this, sir" "You need to be farsighted to understand this move." "Foresight" "Haven't you left, Tiwari-ji?" "I've gotten over some habits in the last one month" "Going home is one of them" "What are you doing?" "I've been studying Gajraj's phone details" "Whenever he makes a call outside lucknow, he changes the SIM card ook, the equipment identification number is the same... but the IMSI is altered." " Good enough" "He'll at least get to know that his phone's being tapped" "That gun, if you don't mind..." "can you put it away?" "Any problems?" "The sight of such things gives me a scare" "I can't concentrate properly." "I've also requested Solanki and Baidyanath... to keep these weapons out of sight" "No problems." "So long as you are comfortable" "You tea's getting cold" "Here are some call-details, sir" "Mr Tiwari had asked for surveillance on four telephone numbers" "The third number happens to be a Public Call booth at Gomti Nagar" "Dubey visits the place vey often and makes all out-station calls from there" "He's expected to be there at eleven again today" "The Second World War had just got over... and the American economy was limping back to its feet... when a 22-year old Indian found America to be the ideal place to..." "Gaju-bhaiwa, Dubey-ji was at the Gomti Nagar PCO a little while ago" "The police suddenly arrived there... and without any warning, they started firing" "Dubey-ji's got killed" "He had decided to achieve what he wanted to... and also overcome the hardships and obstacles he came across" "I strongly believe that a man's life is a never-ending struggle..." "What are we going to do about tomorrow?" "Must we call it off?" "It's going to be vey difficult without Dubey-ji anyway" "No" "If we call it off now, the position we have made for ourselves... will all be finished." "In one simple stroke let's go ahead with it." "We'll deal with whatever happens" "Do you have a message for the young generation, sir?" "Yes." "Hail India" "Members of the Gajraj Singh gang killed industrialist Hariprasad Singh... near the botanical gardens at lucknow, and abducted his 10-year old grandson" "The miscreants, who were driving a white-coloured Cielo... surrounded H.P. Singh and his grandson, when they were out on their morning walk" "According to eye-witness accounts, when H.P. Singh resisted the assailants..." "Gajraj Singh opened fire on him with an AK41 assault rifle... killing him on the spot" "H.P. Singh was a childhood friend of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister" "Hariprasad Singh's body has been taken to his village for the last rites" ""I'm return to Thee this black, calm fire..."" ""I'm also return to Thee the white ashes..."" ""the flowing waters, the winds and the vast open skies..."" ""which is anyway mute"" ""I know God, that You knew..."" "one day, I would return it all to You" "Hari Prasad loved this poem right from his childhood" "He recited the poem to us whenever he could, and we heard him out too" "In fact, it has taken me so many years to realise its true meaning today" "You... were you saying something?" "I was telling you about the jurisdiction of the Special Police Force, sir" "The Special Force does not have any regional responsibilities" "Isn't that what you said?" " Yes, sir" "Without restrictions on jurisdictional movement, it would be easier for us... to move swiftly in the entire state." " Excuse me" "Must not our focus right now be on rescuing Mr Hari Prasad's grandson?" "These legalities can be discussed even later" "The focus even now is on saving Mr Hari Prasad's grandson" "We're even discussing the legalities so that we can nab the kidnappers quickly" "Saving the child and the formation of a Special Police Force" "I can't see what the connection is all about" "You need foresight for that, Mr Gupta" "If the Special Force wishes to involve district police for an operation... they should be given a free hand..." " Some incidents have the power... to change political thinking" "Hari Prasad's killing was one such incident" "In the meeting that extended late into the night... all aspects of the Special Force were discussed in great detail" "Honest answers were sought for burning questions... and an attempt was made to understand evey aspect in great depth" "The resolve was there and the formation of the Special Task Force was a reality" "So you are joining me in the STF?" " What else, sir?" "This is the time to do something." "We're all with you" "With you." "For you." "Always." " That's a slogan of the Delhi police" "Whatever." "It fits What say, Tiwari-ji?" "Right." "With you." "For you." "Always, sir" "Well...?" "Weren't you told not to make a noise?" "Can't you get that into your skull?" " I'm thirsty" "I'll wring your neck." "End of your thirst" "I'm going nuts listening to you ranting in the last eight days anyway!" "Gajju-bhaiwa has sent for you." " Yeah" "Make another sound and I'll send your head to your mother" "You get that?" "The rat wants water!" "Give him some water after an hour." " Sure" "Brajesh..." " Coming" "Was this the only hideout you could find?" "Right next to the railway track!" "I can't even sleep in peace" "The consignment from Nepal has to be received at lucknow tomorrow" "Take the next train." "You'll meet Dwivedi's man with the money there" "Make sure you phone me as soon as you get the delivey" "Kasim... no screwing around this time" "What happened?" " The report has arrived, sir" "You have all the details?" " Oh yes, sir" "Our information was wrong, sir." "They didn't go to Kanpur at all" "And the man we have arrested belongs to the Balram Pandey gang" "He has nothing to do with Gajraj." " Tiwari-ji... the number four is really a public call centre" "There are local numbers too." " What's up, Tiwari-ji?" "Well, we have confirmation from the exchange that Kasim is in lucknow" "At 10=20, he made a call to his girlfriend" "Because there was a disturbance, it appeared he wanted to kiss her... and since the voice still wasn't clear, he called her again after 5 minutes" "Both calls were made from the public phone on platform number one" "He's still there" "Splash the water on his face." "Go on!" "Where's the kid?" "Open your eyes!" "Use some more water!" "That's okay, but did you get anymore information from Kasim?" "No, sir." "We got whatever information he had to give" "He has nothing more to say" "And where is Chhapna?" " On the lucknow-Benaras highway" "About 25 kilometers away from _aunpur" "It's the region where we caught Bajrangi about a month ago" "Sir, do we have to really take the kidnappers alive...?" "That's the decision you will make" "And your decisions will henceforth be my decisions" "Munna..." "Hey Munna..." "Where are you?" "When are we going to have a bulb here?" "Find him and let me know quick" "No word from Kasim?" " No" "We've telephoned evey place." "Nobody has a clue let's wait for another hour." "If we still don't receive word... let's take the kid and head towards Allahabad" "Must be the milkman" "Why're you here today?" "Where's the boy?" "Gajju-bhaiwa, Ramlal here" "I saw a white Sumo heading towards Chhapna early this morning" "I've been tying to reach you, but I just couldn't get through" "I was so worried" "Hey!" "Step aside!" "Baidyanath, call HQ and tell them that the kid is safe" "To take him away from here." "let's go" "Who were they?" " The police team from lucknow... that came to Benaras, on your trail four months ago" "You didn't call to warn us this time." " When we ourselves didn't know... how could we tell you, Chaudhay-ji?" "Think about it" "Gupta-ji, you are the SSP" "How could there possibly be an operation in your area... without your knowledge?" " You don't understand, sir" "The STF covers the whole of U.P." "And the local police' involvement in their operations is next to nothing" "The other day, in Bareilly, in broad daylight... they killed Suraj Pal Ojha in an encounter" "The local police got to know when they were made witnesses... to record the incident." "And you tell me that I didn't call you...?" "You know, sir, the STF and the local police are two separate authorities" "Mr SSP... what more do you know about the STF?" "I began my studies in lucknow." "In the la Martinier School" "I was only eight when..." "my father expired" "We moved to Delhi after that and I completed my education there" "Sir, how were you at your studies?" "But I always knew what to study and what to avoid" "I'm told you got vey good marks in the Civil Services examination" "You could even have become an Indian Administrative Officer" "That's true, but I always wanted to join the police force" "How old are you, sir?" " 3 1" "It's important to know, ma'am!" " No!" "And I mean it, okay?" "Tell us, sir!" "Please!" "And you're laughing?" " I'm sory" "Do you really manage to teach them?" " It's vey easy" "And they really listen to you?" " Yes." "There's a way of teaching" "Why didn't you answer Anita's question?" " Anita, who?" "The one who asked you whether you've ever fallen in love?" "You think I should have answered that?" " Yes" "It's necessay to answer certain questions" "How're you doing, Satyapal-ji?" "I'm okay." " And how're you keeping?" "Much better" "It takes time for things to return to normal" "What brings you here again?" " I had to figure out some things" "I thought you'd perhaps be able to explain them in detail here" "Follow me" "Hari Prasad's grandson was freed from Gajraj's clutches... twelve days ago" "From the same location, we recovered documents of two plots of land" "Investigations revealed that the names and addresses in the documents... were fictitious." "Would you like to take a look?" "Both the plots happen to be located in a posh area of lucknow" "Construction activity is also proceeding on a war-footing" "The name of the construction company is Mehra Constructions" "We got a tip off nine days ago... and your phone's been under surveillance for the last eight days" "What do you do for Gajraj?" "And why do you do it for him?" "Take your own time." "I'm in no hury" "The ransom from Satyapal Mehra was to be made in two installments" "The first, a cash payment of 3.l million" "The second was the use of the name of Mehra Constructions... as a front for Gajraj's land dealings" "Even lucknow's real estate market, like the railway contracts... was now thriving on funds from the underworld" "Taking him to court?" " Yes, sir" "The lawyer has asked for documents to seek his remand." "The hearing is at 3" "What happened of his file, Solanki?" " It has been delivered to the ADG" "See you this evening" "Sir, this is Basheeruddin Ahmed." "We arrested him in Azamgarh yesterday" "He actually hails from Nepal." "He was the source of the AK41 rifles and pistols... we recovered from Gajraj's gangsters recently" "This is the photograph of Mirza Aslam Shaikh" "The frontman for the ISI in Nepal" "He's also connected with the Bombay blasts case" "Actually, this is the guy Basheeruddin works for" "But why would Gajraj mess around with someone like Aslam Shaikh?" "It's not about messing around, sir." "It's all about convenience" "Gajraj's criminal activities are fast spreading" "For which he needs weapons of evey kind" "And there's only one man who can give him such sophisticated weapons today" "Mirza Aslam Shaikh" "How long has this been going on?" " 5 months, sir" "In fact, Gajraj visited Nepal only last month." "To meet Aslam Shaikh" "We got from Basheeruddin a VHS of the meeting..." "Stop Baidyanath from leaving, sir!" "Now!" "It must all have happened vey suddenly" "To live..." "Well, lord..." "This body is but Yours" "To Thou, we must surrender it" "And thus, Sub Inspector Baidyanath Mishra had left us" "In the coming weeks, the STF prepared a list of underworld ganglords... and other most wanted criminals" "What followed was a spate of arrests, encounters, raids and killings" "For perhaps the first time in the histoy of Uttar Pradesh's police... organised crime was being challenged in an organised manner" "The underworld was badly jolted by the offensives mounted by the STF" "The land-deal in the city has been put on hold." "Things are hot at the moment" "I've even told the boys that until things cool down..." "Tea for you, Gajju-bhaiwa" "Didn't I ask you to take rest?" "You're running a fever" "Why're you still working when you're not well?" "Chaudhay, have you sent for a doctor?" " Yes, I have" "He'll be here by this afternoon." " Well... go to sleep now" "Go" "The STF guys bumped off lalian Shukla yesterday" "They're now after this guy." "Poor lalian didn't know much... so he couldn't say anything." "But this guy has all the information" "If he squeals..." " Nothing's going to happen" "You wory for no reason, Chaudhay" "The moment his health improves, arrange for him to leave lucknow" "I'll find a way out" "Ajay, I must leave now." " I'm going with you" "No." "You've got to become a big man and look after your mother" "You must study hard and never be afraid of anyone" "It's not good to be scared." "Do you understand, my son?" "Go on now" "Ma..." "Papa's not opening the door" "Ask him to open the door" "Don't you guys want to go?" "The train has arrived." "C'mon" "The train has arrived on time." "How about the food?" "Who the hell knows?" "let's go" "His name is Shridhar Pandit." "A graduate from the University" "His father's a teacher in a primay school" "He was working with Gajraj for the last ten months" "It's said that it was him, and not Gajraj... who shot Narain at the railway crossing" "How are you, Ajay?" "And where are you?" "I'm in the office, Ma." "What's wrong?" "I got a terribly threatening call" "They said that they would, crush you like a bedbug... come home right now." "I want to see you" "I'm feeling vey restless" "I'll come home as soon as my work is over, Ma" "I told you to come home right now." "I don't want any arguments" "And don't drive all alone." "Make sure there's someone with you" "Do you understand?" "All right, Ma." "I'm coming over" "I'll have to leave, Solanki." "There were some threatening calls... and my mother's vey upset" "The phone-call really shook them up, Bhaiwa" "Of course, I know that" "Hey kid, ask for some tea" "If he doesn't come around, won't I have him bumped off?" "_ust don't wory, bhaiwa" "I could do anything for you" "No, it was a lady." "So I was really vey polite" "I wasn't offensive over the phone" "Unless you get tough with these cops, they're not going to mend their ways" "Sure... my respects, bhaiwa" "Who the hell are you?" "Who sent you here?" "Because it was a lady, you were vey polite" "You weren't abusive on the phone, eh?" " You know who I am?" "You know what it is to be abusive...?" " You godamn..." "What the hell is all this?" "looks like you haven't heard what I said, Solanki" "Sir, Kasim told us that this was the guy who threatened people on Gajraj's behalf" "So..." " So what?" "You will thrash him in public like an animal?" "Because he has made a few calls?" "If you are so scared of threats over the phone, Solanki... you ought to quit the police force." "Shame on you!" "For your information, the man you guys beat up... happens to be a youth activist of Ramnath Mishra's political party" "Ajay, I don't want an explanation from you for what they did today" "Ramnath Mishra has given this entire episode a political angle" "He claims that because of the STF..." "UP has now become a police state!" "Do we have any less problems to deal with... that we had to enact a farce like this?" "What's up, Tiwari-ji" "From Satyapal Mehra, we had got information of 5 mobile phones" "Four of them belonged to Gajraj, but one belonged to Chaudhay" "A Delhi-based number." "The phone has been activated for over an hour now" "Which means Chaudhay's in Delhi." " That's what we hope" "But only an analysis of the call details will give us a confirmation" "While you handle the call details, I'll go and handle the ADG" "All right" "If there's another mistake, I will personally ensure... that the three of you are suspended!" "When did you reach Delhi, Chaudhay?" " This morning, Mishra-ji" "I had to come to make a collection... or I'd have left for Nepal with Gajju-bhaiwa" "I had warned Gajraj not to take on the STF in a straight fight" "But he just won't listen to anyone" "Neither can I help him now nor can I..." "Gajju-bhaiwa wants your help in the contract for the Delhi metro" "All right, have the papers sent." "I'll talk to the people here" "I'll do that and talk to you in detail when we meet, Mishra-ji" "Good bye." " Bye" "Gajraj has landed us all in trouble." "How long can we tolerate this?" "let's tolerate it as long as we can." "We'll find another away after that" "This nation has no dearth of people like Gajraj" "Yes... please verify the rest of the addresses too, Tiwari-ji" "I'll hold on, please check the addresses" "What are you doing?" " I'm making a guest-list... of the people we want to invite at your wedding with Anamika" "Tiwari-ji, I'll call you later" "Ma, what are you talking about?" " About your marriage" "Is that wrong?" " No... but..." "I've known Anamika for barely six or eight months" "Don't live under any illusions." "The Major called this morning" "He said it's exactly 11 months and 12 days since you met Anamika" "How did the Major know all this?" " The bride's father knows eveything" "And what you know about each other is good enough for now" "The rest you can cary on with after your wedding" "The wedding is taking place." "Do what you want to, after that" "If we could ask Anamika for her opinion...?" "I have." "She has no problems." "Do you have any?" "May I give Ramji a hand now?" "And I also have to make that guest list, remember?" "So... when did you arrive?" "Well, "The Major called... the bride's father is supposed to know eveything... that's when" "These two numbers at the top are at Ramnath Mishra's Delhi residence" "One is at a farmhouse in Mehrauli" "These are the two numbers that are important to us" "Goldie Car Servicing Centre?" " Right located in the inner circle of Connaught Place" "I have a feeling we'll surely find a lead there" "Any special reason?" " Yes" "Chaudhay has called these two numbers 23 times from various phones... between yesterday and the day before" "And no call had a duration of less than four minutes" "Which means there is someone at the service station... from whom Chaudhay is tying to extract some details" "The question is= When will Chaudhay actually come here?" "I'm sick of listening to that song!" "Change the bloody tape!" "Of course, I will." "What are you flaring up for?" "Where the hell is Goldie?" "I had asked him to come here on time" "The bastard." "He's never on time" "Now listen to this song" "So you are joining me in the STF?" " What else, sir?" "This is the time to do something." "With you." "For you." "Always" "In the retaliatoy fire, two gangsters died on the spot" "While Rituraj Chaudhay was critically injured" "On human grounds... the STF rushed Chaudhay to the Ram Manohar lohia Hospital" "And it was there that he was declared dead" "Anything else?" "Whatever our report contained is already there in the counter affidavit" "What do you think, Ajay?" " Yes, sir" "We didn't expect Chaudhay's brother to file a writ petition in the Delhi court" "He has made several serious allegations." " Exactly why we've come to you, Mr Suri" "That's okay, Kapoor." "You know how active the Human Rights Commission is in Delhi" "If you had to undertake this operation... you should've ideally arrested these gangsters" "Which is perhaps something you could well have done" "Mr Suri, if you want the police to operate in an ideal manner... you must also provide them an ideal environment" "With things being the way they are, to deal with people like Chaudhay... we will have to adopt underhand methods" "If battles like this are fought within the framework of phony idealism... we can vey well forget about winning" "The allegations made in the writ petition could not withstand..." "Mr Suri's legal genius... and the honourable High Court of Delhi dismissed the petition" "On the other hand, the morale of the Uttar Pradesh police received a boost... with the continuing success of the STF" "After ages, even at the police station levels... a close watch was kept on underworld activities" "A rare spirit had come to possess the entire police force" "At 5=34= 19 seconds, a call was made to 9891005280... the during was 25 seconds." "Right" "Tiwari-ji, I'm going home." "I can drop you on my way" "There was information being relayed from Sayed Exchange..." "Can I help you?" " Thank you" "As my physics professor said, a man must always cary his own burden" "Your own burden, okay." "But you bear the burden of the whole department" "Are you still scared of it?" " Well, yes..." "I mean..." ""Strange stoy, this one..."" "You don't mind the song, do you?" ""what destination is this...?"" ""neither does he know, nor I"" "The operations of Uttar Pradesh's STF have revealed that some gangsters... of eastern U.P. are now operating from Nepal" "Under the protection of Pakistan's ISI, these gangs are now involved... in smuggling of arms, printing and circulating counterfeit currency" "It's now a question of internal security... and it can't be tackled at the state level" "We'll need the help of specialised intelligence like the MW, the IB... and the Interpol." "And we are already in discussions with the Centre" "After spreading its tentacles in the railway-contract racket... the UP mafia is now extending a hand of friendship to international syndicates" "According to latest information..." "Whatever you say, Mishra-ji..." "Gajraj has really shaken up Raghuvir's government" "Asses!" "They're out to create a fearless society" "The administration and the police..." "they're all on tenterhooks!" "You were right." "He's really a useful guy" "He must only hold his ground" "He won't be able to hold his ground like this" "We'll have to find a way to make him stand his ground" "A bye-election has been announced in the Gorakhpur assembly constituency" "That's an absolutely safe seat." "We'll make Gajraj fight the elections there" "But will he fight it?" " Why not?" "He's being drawn into the system." "He'll happily fight it" "But won't the party's image take a beating... if we publicly associate with him?" " Not at all" "He'll fight as an independent candidate." "We'll only lend him outside support" "But this is where he'll have to come to fight the elections" "And you know the STF are baying for his blood" "If they see him somewhere, they're going to shoot him" "I have a solution to that problem too" "Mind your luggage" "Your stay has been arranged in Agra" "This constable will keep you company." "Phone me, if there is a problem" "And you needn't wory about Gajraj..." "Kasim..." "Kasim!" "Have you finished packing?" " Yes" "Ma, I've given all the numbers of Delhi to Ramji" "Call me whenever you want to" "I must leave, Ma." "look after yourself" "It's righteousness that's always victorious" "That's exactly why I'm fighting it out, Ma" "According to intelligence reports Gajraj Singh was in Delhi" "On that nightlong journey, none of us slept" "Eveyone firmly held on to their seats" "There was a weird silence inside the van" "For the next ten days, Delhi became the STF's operational base" "We got cracking as soon as we received news from investigators" "We stepped up surveillance" "The aim was clear and the intention was obvious" "Target, Gajraj Singh" "And probably, this was the finishing touch to the stoy" "It's clear from his cellphone ID... that, he is located somewhere here, between these two towers" "Then that's where we must focus" "My point" "But Chanakyapuri is a diplomatic location" "Delhi police might object to our operations here" "Fine." "We'll pick him up... and cary out the operations at Mehrauli" "Why not, after a gallon of tea?" "Know what my Ma says, Tiwari-ji?" "When you are spent... stand before the rising sun" "It invigorates you" "Did it invigorate you?" "My body, yes" "It's my mind's turn now" "You know things are tense now." "So why did you fix this place for the meeting?" "Is the power of attorney ready?" " That's why the lawyer is here" "But where are you?" " Nearby." "Checking something" "I'm sending Dwivedi to pick you up" "It's confirmed." "The call's been traced" "Gajraj is on a public phone outside Nizamuddin station" "Mishra." " Check Mishra's cellphone ID, pronto" "How long will it take to reach?" " At least 15 minutes in normal traffic" "He might get away, sir" "He won't" "Tiwari-ji, I think you should be coming." "We may need you" "Ajay sahib, Gajraj has probably stepped out of the phone booth" "No other way out" "We came up with this idea after much consideration listen Gajraj, you got to surrender, just once" "Besides, these are formalities that cannot be overlooked" "If you say so, it's fine" "Under whose jurisdiction will this surrender take place?" "Gorakhpur." "It's my territoy" "Eveything will be under my control" "What if I'm remanded to police custody?" "The police won't even touch you" "Why do you wory?" "I've fixed eveything" "You will be remanded to judicial custody" "And yes, the nomination papers will also be filed from jail" "Tell me" "I'm in a meeting with Mr Mishra" "I'll tell him, he'll get it done" "We'll send this surrender application as soon as we reach" "The day after, or the next will be the date" "Then the game's yours" "I need to go to the loo" "Ajay sahib!" "Gajraj was talking on his cellphone" "He is with Mishra." "Should be somewhere around here" "looks like the entire STF team is here" "I suspected Mishra all along." "He must've called them" "Discard the cellphone" "C'mon" "Where's Gajraj?" "Where the hell is Gajraj?" "Must've taken that train" "C'mon, Tiwari-ji" "The train seems empty." "Where's lokpal and the others?" "He just called." "Their compartment is blocked" "Okay, move" "Syed...?" "Hold him" "Tiwari-ji, place your hand here" "Syed, I'll be back" "Tiwari-ji, stay put." "Don't move from here" "Tiwari-ji, what are you doing here?" "You need to be with Syed" "Please go, Tiwari-ji" "He's alive" "I ran a check" "Our compartment is blocked." "This is the only way out" "Is it the river?" "Appears so" "Move" "Anything else, Mr Tiwari?" "Yes... that's all" "So that was the stoy of SSP Ajay Kumar?" "Not his stoy alone" "It was our stoy" "Solanki..." "Baidyanath..." "Srihant..." "Yadav... lokpal... and me" "It was our stoy"