Original subtitles

For others, it's the last rites, but for us, it's the last chance.

Roshni was not my girlfriend. She was my fiancée.

(hiccups)

Do you think your daughter will get justice?

Please leave her alone.

You've got what you wanted.

Now, please remember you alone shall pay the price of your defeat.

She hadn't answered my calls for days.

She never told me what happened.

Was Roshni pregnant?

(Raghu) We have recovered the murder weapon in the Roshni Saluja case today

from the Deonar dump yard.

So, what now?

The police will come to arrest me anytime now.

So, you want me to fight your case?

Yes.

(indistinct chatter)

(mysterious music)

Kamala, go to Ira. Don't let her come out.

(title music)

(sirens wail)

(Gauri) What did you think about Roshni?

She was my daughter's caretaker. That was my only connection to her.

So you didn't share the usual wife-mistress relationship?

No? So the affair was happening behind your back?

I can't imagine how you must have felt.

Even talking about it makes me feel--

I was already separated from Raj.

I had moved out of that house.

Why would I care about what he was doing or with whom?

You're right, ma'am. And anyway, after the divorce,

why would you care about him, right?

You weren't divorced?

(Harsh) What is this, ma'am? You two didn't love each other.

Your husband loved someone else.

So, you should have filed for divorce, no?

We were thinking of getting a divorce--

See, they were thinking.

But how will people believe that?

You must have some documents to prove this intent to divorce.

Or you must have spoken to a lawyer, right?

Come on, ma'am. People will say that, though the husband

was playing doctor-doctor with his nurse,

the wife didn't care enough to file for divorce.

Does that ever happen?

-Huh, Gauri? -You're a lawyer, aren't you?

You don't practise anymore.

What is your source of income?

(Harsh) Oh, dear!

All this is for money?

(tsks)

Madam, people can truly go to any lengths for money.

I mean, they'll endure any amount of pain, humiliation...

all for money.

That's why you moved in right opposite his house

so you could keep an eye on his house and money. Right?

He's a generous man.

He thought you're the mother of his child,

so he should be sending you some money.

Ma'am, what kind of separation is this?

Tell me something. How much of his income did he give you?

20%? 30%? 40%? How much?

And when Roshni entered his life, the flow of money must have stopped.

So, the wife thought, if she got rid of the "other woman"

and became the wife again,

she'd have access to the entire 100% again.

Am I right, Mrs. Nagpal?

Ask Raj all these questions.

I'm innocent.

Here. You're as innocent as your husband.

This is from three weeks before the party.

During the murder, you were present right there

with your husband, Anju Nagpal.

Before Kamala arrived.

After that, you cleaned the murder weapon

wiped the fingerprints, threw it in the trash

and then went back home to wait for Kamala's scream--

-This is ridiculous! -You and your husband

planned and executed the murder of Roshni Saluja.

You're all making up stories. I'm telling you...

I did not kill Roshni!

Then prove it in court.

(Harsh) Mrs. Anju Nagpal,

for the murder of Roshni Saluja,

we are placing you under arrest as the co-accused.

(dramatic music)

Isn't it strange that the police detained Anju-ji

and she didn't even call us?

Let's find out.

So, my friend!

Thank you for calling to inform us about Anju-ji.

(chuckles)

What's the matter? Why are you smiling?

-You're screwed, Madhav. -Really?

Come, let me show you.

(startles)

(Shivani) Mom?

(Shivani clears throat)

Uh, Mom?

What are you doing here?

Okay?

I've come to meet my client.

-Okay, and who is this client? -There she is.

(intriguing music)

Hello.

See you in court.

Where should we sit? Here?

Wait, in this ongoing match,

from where did this third team suddenly appear?

I don't know what to do.

Do you love your daughter or not?

What kind of a question is that?

I hope you realise that

if you show any kind of support towards your husband,

then the judge will convict you both

and both of you will end up behind bars.

But if you stand only and only in your own defence,

you won't go to jail

and you will be able to stay with your daughter.

Isn't that what you want?

(sighs)

But what if Raj is innocent?

(grave music)

No, but this makes no sense.

On what basis have they arrested her?

The murder weapon was found in Anju-ji's trash bag.

Now both of you will stand trial together

in this murder case as co-accused.

Can I...

speak to Anju?

Uh... Actually...

Anju-ji has hired herself a new lawyer.

(grave music escalates)

I-I don't understand. W-Why would she do that?

You see, Doctor, your fight is no longer only against

the public prosecutor Lekha Agastya.

You are now fighting your wife's lawyer, too.

And they will exploit every aspect of the law

to ensure that the blame falls on you

and you're proven to be the murderer.

So... what are we going to do?

We will do as our title suggests. Defence.

(footsteps approach)

Dinner?

I'm not hungry.

Something on your mind?

Why did you take up Anju Nagpal's case?

-Because she asked me to. -You could have said no.

Are you asking me this as my daughter or as a lawyer?

If you're asking me as my daughter,

then you still haven't understood me as a person.

And if you're asking me this as a lawyer,

then you have no right to be asking me this question at all.

Okay. (scoffs) Okay.

So, you're doing all this because

I'm working with Madhav Mishra and not you. Is that it?

You just want to see me fail.

Have you already made up your mind that you're going to lose?

No.

Then what's the problem?

See you in court.

CENTRAL JAIL

(door creaks)

Hey, come on! Get up!

(suspenseful music)

(door shuts)

How are you, Doctor?

I hope our public service

has given you no reason for complaint.

Are you satisfied?

Please sit.

Sit down.

Here.

Please drink up. It'll help you stay focused.

You're a surgeon, aren't you?

You save lives.

Or you used to.

It must feel great, right? Powerful.

The power to save lives.

Today I'm here to give you

that same power to save a life, Doctor.

You had the chance. You should have confessed right then.

It would have saved you a lot of time and hassle.

The court and judge might have even sympathised with you

and given you a reduced sentence.

What was all this drama for?

Anyway, better late than never.

You still have the chance. Trust me.

You can save not just one, but two lives. Honestly.

Doctor, I have a daughter.

I really love her a lot.

And I can do anything for her. Absolutely anything.

I'm sure you feel the same way about Ira.

Don't you?

You weren't a good husband. Neither am I.

But you could still be a good father.

(Harsh clears throat)

Doctor, honestly, just do it.

Just plead guilty in court tomorrow.

Let your daughter and wife live in peace.

Will your daughter be able

to survive without her mother?

You're a wise man.

Everything lies in your hands now, Doctor.

(door shuts)

(siren wails)

(judge) Dr. Raj Nagpal, you're the prime accused in this case.

You've been accused of murdering Roshni Saluja

on 12th September.

Under IPC sections 302, 201,

and 120B, you will be charged with the death penalty

or lifetime imprisonment and a fine.

How do you plead?

How do you plead, Dr. Nagpal?

(judge shouts) How do you plead, Dr. Nagpal?

(intriguing music rises)

-Not guilty. -(music stops)

(judge) Co-accused no. 1, please step down.

Co-accused no. 2 may now be called to the stand.

Your Honour, the co-accused

wants to proceed with a separate lawyer.

(judge) Anju Nagpal.

Under sections 302, 201,

and 120B,

you've been accused of being a criminal conspirator in the crime.

How do you plead?

(sombre music)

Not guilty, Your Honour.

(judge) The case is now assigned to the Sessions Court.

The proceedings will begin on 15th November.

(judge strikes gavel)

(Lekha) Just give me the details.

And all the serial numbers will have to be--

Lekha-ji! Actually, it's been two weeks,

so I can come collect the material discovery if you wish.

Thank you, Deep.

There's no need. I'll send it across myself.

Thank you, Lekha-ji.

Lekha-ji, the pleasure to fight opposite you

has presented itself again!

Thank you, Madhav-ji. Likewise.

Just don't hope for the same outcome as last time.

I leave all hope behind in court.

I simply work hard and let my work do the talking.

(scoffs)

You defence lawyers are

in the business of selling hope, aren't you?

Your clients make mistakes,

you sell them hope and lie in court.

You focus on minor police errors and simply prolong the case.

Did you see that? You should learn from Lekha-ji.

This is how you intimidate your opposing lawyer.

Your pack seems to be growing.

Oh, yes, this is mini Mathur.

-Mandira-ji's daughter. -Shivani.

Hi.

Okay, forget all this. Tell me something...

how did Mr. Kadamb's efforts sink all of a sudden?

I'll see you in court, Madhav-ji.

Whatever happens now will be in court.

Let's go.

Sir, signature.

Thank you.

-Is this it? -No, sir.

Oh, my God.

Lekha-ji seems to have sent all the papers she had lying around.

Now, do we spend our time reading all this or fighting the case?

(door opens)

(soft music)

(sombre piano notes playing)

(music continues)

(siren wailing)

(media barrage)

(indistinct chatter)

(music rises)

(reporter) Is your husband forcibly dragging you into this case?

Dr. Nagpal! Dr. Nagpal!

It's show time!

Doctor, you're the prime accused.

So, make sure you control the expressions on your face.

You see, every single reaction of yours

can and will be used against you.

This time, you're not the advocate but the victim.

So, act.

The only time you can allow any emotion on your face

is when Roshni's name comes up.

The judge should feel that you're experiencing deep sorrow

whenever you hear Roshni's name. Okay?

(Mandira) In the judge's eyes,

both of you are equally guilty.

We have to change that perception,

which is why I'm emphasising

on body language and attitude. Victim!

No matter how much Lekha-ji and Mandira-ji

try to instigate you, you must stay calm.

If you get carried away by your emotions, we'll lose.

The judge and the world will believe you're guilty.

You will keep a distance from Raj in court.

Whatever relationship you share

or may have shared with him in the past...

Forget everything.

In here, you're not with her. You're against her. Got it?

Come on.

(court usher) Case number 12016.

State vs Raj Nagpal and Anju Malhotra Nagpal.

Prosecution, proceed.

Thank you, Your Honour.

Roshni Saluja was a nurse.

For her, nursing was not a job but her second nature.

Looking after those who are helpless and in need of care

was much more than a job for her.

And it is this very aspect of her nature

that caught Dr. Raj Nagpal's attention

who happened to be the chief medical surgeon

at the same hospital.

In fact, during the separation of the Nagpals,

Roshni Saluja looked after Dr. Raj Nagpal and Anju Nagpal's

daughter, Ira Nagpal, so well

that Raj and Roshni began to develop...

what do you call it? Well, they developed a "friendship."

And because of this very nature of hers,

Dr. Raj Nagpal found it easy

to emotionally abuse her, exploit her

and he continued doing so until she was of no use to him.

And then, very conveniently

he dropped Roshni and went back to his wife.

We may not have gotten to the bottom of this case yet,

but I believe that Roshni Saluja died

because of this selfless nature of hers.

Otherwise, despite being humiliated publicly

on the night of Ira Nagpal's 13th birthday party,

why would she still come over the next morning

to give Ira her medicine on time?

Who does that?

Who does this?

Perhaps the kind of person

who prioritises other people over herself.

And Roshni Saluja was one such woman.

If it was any other nurse in place of Roshni Saluja,

perhaps we would not be standing here today.

And a mother wouldn't have lost her daughter.

But, Your Honour, some people fall prey to their own nature,

and I think Roshni was that person.

Roshni's only mistake was falling in love with the wrong man.

A married man who kept emotionally abusing her,

exploiting her and leading her on

with absolutely no intention to leave his wife.

And the state will prove, beyond reasonable doubt,

that on the morning of 12th September,

Dr. Raj Nagpal and Anju Nagpal together

murdered Roshni Saluja, covered it up

and lied about it continuously.

But you see, lies don't have the legs to go far.

Roshni Saluja became the victim of her own narrative.

Her narrative may have been sad and tragic

but it will culminate with justice. Thank you.

Defence counsel.

I mean, defence counsel no. 1.

Madhav-ji, that's you.

I see.

I'm not used to ever being number one.

Thank you.

(clears throat)

(sniffs)

Thank you, Your Honour.

During this case,

we'll get to hear a certain word mentioned by Lekha-ji repeatedly.

"Victim."

It's quite a loaded word for our judicial system.

We all know it.

The one who doesn't get justice or faces injustice is a victim.

The injustice may have been caused

by a person or by a system.

And for me, that is what this trial is solely based on.

Dr. Raj Nagpal, my client,

is a renowned doctor.

He has a 13-year-old daughter. She's a special child.

One morning, he returns home from his morning walk and finds

his lover, Roshni, on the floor, covered in blood.

He tries to save her.

But Roshni-ji dies in his arms.

Your Honour,

we must take into consideration

his pain, suffering and grief.

He stands here as the accused today, not because

there is evidence piled against him

but because, in the absence of any evidence,

he is being declared the murderer, despite being the victim.

He's the victim of a system

that conveniently considers the person present

at the crime scene to be the culprit. Time after time.

And unfortunately, the prosecution

considers this to be the means and the motive.

I sincerely hope and will do my absolute best to ensure

that the court does not punish Dr. Nagpal for doing his duty.

The defence will remove the label of murderer

that has been attached to him

and give him the label he deserves.

A lover, who held his love in his arms

as she breathed her last,

and a doctor,

who could not save his love despite his best efforts.

Thank you, Your Honour.

(judge) Defence counsel for the co-accused.

(Mandira) Your Honour,

my client Anju Nagpal has been connected to this case

simply because her past is connected to Dr. Nagpal's.

All the evidence connecting Anju Nagpal

to this case, they are all circumstantial.

And all the testimonies collected

support this argument.

Anju Nagpal being connected to this case

proves just one thing.

That even today, in our society,

a woman's identity, her individuality

is only viewed in relation to a man.

This is why, Your Honour, I urge the court

to withdraw all accusations against Anju Nagpal

so that she can look after her daughter.

The child needs her.

And also, equally importantly,

so that Roshni Saluja is delivered justice

without any further delay.

That's all. Thank you.

Prosecution, you may proceed.

Your Honour, I'd like your permission to call

the investigating officer of this case, API Gauri Karmarkar,

to the witness stand to run us through the case, please.

-Permission granted. -Thank you.

API Gauri Karmarkar, what happened on the morning of 12th September?

At 7:46 a.m., we received a call from Anju Nagpal.

Hello, police...

I-I'm calling from Bandra West.

T-There has been an accident here.

Please come soon.

And then when I reached

Dr. Raj Nagpal's house at around 8:45 a.m.,

Roshni Saluja's body

lay on the floor of his living room.

Dr. Raj Nagpal's hands were covered in blood.

Roshni Saluja's blood was all over him.

What was the cause of death?

(coroner) Based on our examination of the body, the victim's neck

had a deep wound, which was around 3.5 inches long.

(Lekha) Any signs of a struggle or defence?

No.

Neither the victim's body nor the accused's body

had any defensive wounds.

And you found this murder weapon at the crime scene?

-No. -That means

someone removed it from the crime scene.

That's right.

What else did you see at the crime scene and around it?

(Gauri) We found a metal vase there and a shard of glass,

which was 9mm thick.

It was next to the victim's body.

-A shard of glass? -Yes.

Looking at its shape and thickness,

you could determine that it's used to

make things like shelves or awards.

Such as a Medical Excelsior Award?

Yes.

Did you find this award at Dr. Raj Nagpal's house?

No.

(Gauri) From the photos of the night of the party,

it was established that, the night before the murder,

that award was on the top shelf

of Dr. Raj Nagpal's living room cabinet.

But it was missing on the morning of the murder.

This confirmed our suspicion that the shard of glass

belonged to the outer cover of that Medical Excelsior Award.

(Lekha) Exhibit 2 and 3, Your Honour.

Who else entered the house after Roshni?

When we checked the CCTV footage,

we found that between 7:00 and 7:40,

other than Dr. Raj Nagpal and Roshni Saluja,

only their maid Kamala entered the building.

(Lekha) Right. Your Honour,

exhibit 4, CCTV footage of the building.

(ominous music)

(Lekha) You're the watchman of the building, right?

Tell us. Does Dr. Nagpal go for a jog every morning?

Almost, madam. About five or six days a week.

(Lekha) What time does he go in the morning?

-At around 7:00-7:15 a.m. -Are you sure?

Yes, madam. The guard duty changes at that time.

-So, I remember. -And when does he come back?

In about an hour, madam. By 8:00-8:15 a.m.

Did he go for a jog on the morning of 12th September?

Yes, he did.

(Lekha) And he came back as usual around 8:00-8:15 a.m.?

(Amar) No, madam, he returned early that day.

By around 7:25 a.m.

Where did you find the murder weapon?

On Inspector Gauri's orders,

we traced the path of the garbage trucks.

Those garbage trucks go to the Deonar dump yard

from Dr. Raj Nagpal's building.

We found the murder weapon

in a trash bag in that very dump yard.

The scalpel.

Who did the trash bag belong to?

Anju Nagpal.

Where was Anju Nagpal at the time of the murder?

According to her statement, she was in her house,

which is right opposite Dr. Raj Nagpal's house.

(Lekha) Right.

Did you find any fingerprints on the murder weapon?

No. It had been cleaned.

Then, on what basis could you determine

that it was the murder weapon?

We found traces of blood on that scalpel

which matched Roshni Saluja's DNA.

(Lekha) Right.

-Is this the golden scalpel? -Yes.

And Roshni Saluja was murdered using this?

- Yes. -(Lekha) Exhibit 5,

murder weapon, Your Honour.

Thank you, API Karmarkar.

(Lekha) Thank you.

(judge) Defence counsel no. 1?

Inspector, did anyone see Dr. Raj Nagpal murdering

Roshni Saluja using the scalpel?

No.

No one did. Okay.

So, could it be possible that someone else came into the house

before Raj did and committed the murder?

We found nothing pointing to that during our investigation.

How many CCTV cameras are there in that building?

Forty. They cover the eight main areas.

Was there any camera that wasn't working on that day?

One wasn't working.

So then, is it possible

that someone entered from an area

covered by the non-working camera

and therefore escaped your detection?

Even if someone had entered from there,

the other cameras would have spotted them thereafter.

We didn't find anything like that.

But Anju-ji lives on the same floor.

And she wasn't even on your suspect list. Why?

-Because at that time, we were-- -Because Kamala-ji said

that Anju-ji entered the room after she screamed

or because it was Anju-ji who called the police?

She could have still been a suspect irrespective.

(Gauri) Dr. Raj Nagpal's body

and clothes had splatters of blood all over,

that were consistent with the frontal attack

made on Roshni Saluja.

Your Honour,

while helping a dying person and trying to save their life,

would anyone bother about consistency?

And that too when the saviour is a doctor

and the dying person is his lover?

We didn't find traces of blood on anyone other than Dr. Nagpal.

Your Honour, that's circumstantial.

That way, if Inspector Gauri

had found my client near a banana stall,

she'd simply declare him a fruit seller.

Objection, Your Honour. This is badgering.

I mean, what's the relevance here?

Objection sustained.

Sorry, Your Honour. Yes.

So, you saw blood stains

on the body and clothes of my client

and declared him guilty.

Well, this isn't the first time

you've erred during an investigation.

Do you remember the Zara Ahuja murder case?

(Lekha) Objection, Your Honour. What's the relevance here?

What has that case got to do with this case?

Gauri Karmarkar was not even the IO on that case.

She wasn't the IO, but she was a member of the investigating team.

Your Honour, even in the Zara Ahuja murder case,

they wrongfully accused an innocent minor.

Objection overruled.

(judge) Madhav-ji, continue.

(Madhav) Your Honour, a minor

endured the consequences of her improper investigation.

Until the actual murderer came to court and confessed,

that innocent minor underwent

emotional torture and pain for six months.

Your Honour, API Gauri Karmarkar

and API Harsh Pradhan

have been trying their best to tie my client,

Raj Nagpal, to this crime without any concrete evidence.

The police are after what's convenient, not what's correct.

Raj Nagpal is innocent.

He shouldn't be punished for the incompetence of the police.

Thank you, Your Honour.

Defence counsel no. 2.

Forgive me.

You might have to take the trouble to repeat a few things.

Can you please tell us who made the first phone call

to the police, and when?

(clears throat)

Anju Nagpal-ji called at 7:46 a.m.

Point to be noted, Your Honour.

When my client Anju Nagpal entered the flat of her...

her, uh, husband,

Dr. Nagpal,

his house-help Kamala

was already present there.

My client only did

what any responsible and innocent citizen does.

She immediately called the police.

Am I right?

The murder weapon

was found in Anju Nagpal's trash bag.

Anyone who runs a household knows that the trash

is kept outside the house every night.

It lies in the corridor

until a worker comes and picks it up in the morning.

I mean to say anyone could have

put anything in that bag at any point in time.

So, it is possible that someone put the murder weapon

in that bag at some point in time.

Perhaps even Dr. Nagpal himself.

Do you accept my logic?

I'd request you to take the trouble once more to reiterate

and express your agreement loudly and clearly.

It's possible.

(Mandira) That's all, Your Honour.

No more questions.

Prosecution?

Thank you, Your Honour.

I'd like your permission to call my next witness,

Kamala Jadhav-ji, to the witness stand.

-Permission granted. -Thank you.

Kamala-ji, what did you see on the morning of 12th September?

Please tell the court.

W-When...

I reached their house,

I saw that the door was open.

I...

(tense music)

Don't be afraid. Look at me.

Just tell us everything you remember. Okay?

Go on.

(Kamala) When I entered, I saw...

(stutters) that Roshni didi was covered in blood.

R-Raj bhaiya...

was holding her.

(mouthing) She's nervous.

(judge) Please let us know if you need a break.

We'll call upon you later. Lekha-ji...

Do you need a break?

Continue.

(ominous music)

I saw the golden instrument next to Roshni didi's body.

-Objection, Your Honour. -Objection.

When I went back to the fish market, I remembered...

She's changing her statement.

-(Madhav) The police-- -Counsels.

My chambers in five minutes.

(tense music)

Your Honour, Kamala-ji hasn't mentioned this

in any of her initial statements.

Your Honour, we are hearing of this for the first time as well.

The prosecution had no idea about this.

Your Honour, the witness has clearly been

coached by the prosecution.

She has been coached and taught to act.

This is an abuse of the judicial system.

What? Not at all.

(Lekha) Kamala-ji remembered this detail a few days ago

when she returned to the fish market.

She had visited the fish market

on the morning of 12th September as well.

It's a case of trauma flashback, Your Honour.

-What flashback? -Trauma flashback.

Your Honour, is this cinema?

The case is all over the news and media every day.

How can we overlook the fact that this flashback

could easily be influenced after watching something on the news?

I'm afraid I...

agree... with Madhav Mishra-ji's logic.

Your Honour, victims of sexual violence, soldiers

and casualties of war are permitted to change

their testimonies because, due to the trauma and shock,

they might remember the graphic details of incidents

months or sometimes years after they occur.

It's a coping mechanism where you suppress your memory.

And the same thing happened to Kamala-ji.

She had a trauma flashback, Your Honour. It's not cinema.

It's called psychology.

(tapping fingers)

(Madhav clears throat)

The prime witness has revealed

new information about the murder weapon.

The court accepts her altered testimony.

-(Lekha whispers) Yes! -Your Honour--

(judge) Mishra-ji, please sit down.

The court is adjourned till Monday.

(judge strikes gravel)

(Ratna) What is this new nuisance?

Kamala's statement has made things harder for us now, no?

The judge has approved Kamala's testimony.

If it's not proved wrong during the cross, then...

Then it will be established that it was Raj who committed the murder

and Anju helped him dispose of the murder weapon.

Raj and Anju will both be pronounced guilty.

Thanks to Kamala, we're now like fish out of water.

(doorbell rings)

-Hi. -Sakshi, who...

Harsh, it's Friday. Weren't you supposed to come tomorrow?

Well...

Sorry.

(Sakshi) Dad, please come?

(soft music)

Harsh, you can't just show up like this whenever you want.

I've not come to meet Sakshi. I've come to see you.

I didn't like the way Madhav Mishra spoke to you in court.

He should not have insulted you like that.

Since when did you start caring?

I do care, Gauri.

I mean, an insult to an officer

is an insult to the entire department.

Right?

Everyone knows you're a capable officer.

No other officer in the department

could have found the murder weapon this quickly.

Gauri, I have...

always trusted your instincts.

You should, too.

CENTRAL JAIL

Let's forget about the wife and the mistress

and focus on the maid. Kamala.

If you want to get out of here, you need to focus on her.

The scalpel wasn't there. Believe me, it's not possible.

Fine, I'll believe you. But Kamala says it was there.

She changed her statement at a crucial moment.

There must have been a reason.

Changing her statement in the witness box

raises suspicion against Kamala also.

Think harder. What could the reason be?

Otherwise, get accustomed to eating the dal and roti in here.

I'd only talk to Kamala...

when I had some work for her... "Get this, do that..."

But this is what you would ask of her.

Did she ever ask you for something?

"Sir, give me this, or do this for me"?

Do you recollect any such instance? Think harder.

-Yes. -Hmm.

(suspenseful music)