Original subtitles

Complete Subtitles Exclusively Arranged by:- Samaksh ~ Varsha ~ Pankaj Jain

New Delhi, 2008

Chandra?

Chandra?

What's wrong?

I want to go home.

Chandra, haven't I told you that Shivraj sir, is my senior?

He loves me like a sister.

Everything will be ok. Trust me.

It won't be ok.

It can never be.

I am sure of it.

Chandra Chatterjee, sir...

On the 15th of August, 2004, her husband Dhananjoy Chatterjee...

...was hanged.

Hmm.

First, I would like to know...

...why are you so interested in this case?

My friend Rumni...

...is associated with an NGO.

These vegetables are grown in the village.

Ok...

Those pictures have been drawn by kids from this village.

What about these?

I was attending a function at Aangan Bari when...

Chandra, sit properly.

He didn't do anything.

Why did they take him away?

Chandra, calm down...

She has a history. Will tell you later. Come on...

Come along...

Complete Subtitles Exclusively Arranged by:- Samaksh ~ Varsha ~ Pankaj Jain

The village women ready the Cassia leaves and put them in packets...

And they are our little...

Hey! What are you studying? Poetry?

Very good...

She has such strange eyes.

She's a lot better now.

The court verdict hailed it as one of the rarest cases of murder.

But she believes that her husband is innocent.

Very natural.

The family of every convict feels the same.

Goddess Kali...

Goddess Biswa Lakshmi...

Great Goddess Manasa...

Bring him back.

I will perform a puja in your name. Please bring him back.

I will perform a puja in your name. Please bring him back...

Complete Subtitles Exclusively Arranged by:- Samaksh ~ Varsha ~ Pankaj Jain

Uh...

Bring him back...

I want to talk to her.

Chandra?

Chandra?

Please eat.

I contacted you after speaking with her and looking through the case details.

The loochi's (flatbread) are almost ready.

And then?

What you are about to hear is in accordance with court details and statements of the prosecution.

Why didn't you come home?

The police are looking for me.

That's why I've been hiding out at Mona's.

Why are the police looking for you?

They were looking for him because on the previous evening, the 5th of March...

...a most tragic incident took place at Sunanda apartments in Kolkata.

Yes.

5th March, 1990

Gullu, how are you? - I'm ok.

Bye! - Bye.

How are you? - I'm ok.

How were your exams? - Pretty good.

There you go...

What took you so long?

Jam.

5:20PM

Namaste Bhabiji (Madam). - Hmm.

I really need some tea...

'The water runs below the ship, The water runs...'

5:25PM

'The water runs below the ship, The water runs...'

Janardhan... - Hmm?

I am going up to Mr.Parekh's flat. - Hmm.

Need to call the agency.

'The water runs below the ship, The water runs...'

What news? - It's all good.

Sure? - Yes...

(Guard is humming a Hindi tune)

Janak! - Yes, sir.

Has Dhananjoy come?

He just went up to Mr.Parekh's flat.

What?

But I have already fired him!

Ajay Thapa has been hired in his place.

Call him.

Dhananjoy?

I'm coming...

Were you looking for me Pati Da?

Haven't you received your transfer letter?

I had duty here till 2pm.

Now I have certain other engagements,

after which I'll be off to Mahesh Apartments.

Ok, ok...

It's nearly 6, don't make it late- - I'll be back on time.

Get going!

Shree Laxmi Narayan Mandir Society

5:50 PM

Ram, Ram (Indian greeting), ma'am.

While you were at the mandir...

...Dhananjoy had been to your flat.

Why?

Said that he needed to make a phone call.

Ma'am I am supposed to get some money from you, so it would be-

I'll give it to you.

Ok.

Hema?

Hema open the door!

Hema!

Hema open the door!

What are you doing?

What's wrong?

She isn't opening the door!

Hema! - Hema?

Hema! - Hema!

Please help!

She isn't opening the door.

Hema!

She must be sleeping. - Hema!

What's happened?

Hema! - Open the door!

She must be sleeping...

Someone must have killed her!

No, no, no... - Break the door!

Break the door! Hema!

Hema!

Hema open the door!

Break the door!

Break it!

Ma'am please move out of the way.

Oh God! She hasn't even switched on the lights!

Hema!

Huh! - Hema-

Oh God! - Oh my God!

How could this have happened?

Hema!

Hema...

Dhananjoy...

Where did Dhananjoy go?

Dhananjoy!

Where is Dhananjoy?

How did this happen? - Dhananjoy!

Don't just stand here! Call an ambulance, doctors, policemen!...

Let's go...

Hema...

Someone get the lift!

Press the button for the lift!...

Doctor?

Please come this way...

Ma'am?

Sorry Bhabiji...

We have to inform the police. - Police?

No...

Ma! - Hema...

My little princess Hemu has left me!

Take her upstairs. Where is your father?

Papa, has gone to the medical store.

He didn't know...

How did this happen?

That dog had gone up right before me!

Dhananjoy? - Yes...

He murdered my daughter!

This is a disaster!

How could this have happened?

If you break down like this... - My daughter has been butchered!

He used to harass her.

I had warned you...

But he didn't listen...

I had gone to the temple and my daughter was...

Where is Dhananjoy? Call the bugger!

I need to show this to the police.

I found this chain next to the swing.

And this button too.

Do you recognize it?

No.

I had seen this chain around Hari's neck.

Who is Hari? - I am, sir.

Is this yours?

Dhananjoy had borrowed it a month back.

On which date?

I don't remember the date.

What's your address?

I work at Karuna madam's office.

I've been living there for the past 10-12 years.

It doesn't look like much has been taken.

What time did you return home?

At 5:50PM

5:50PM.

They are friends with Prashit Mukherjee aren't they?

Yes, the DCDD.

Sir, could you tell us something about the events that occured?

We heard there has been a murder? - Sir, please...

Move aside... - Please tell us who has died...?

Sir, please... - Let me get in first!

Sir, please tell us what has happened?

God...

Hmm! - Sir...

I saw her leave for school in the morning. - Me too...

Hmm.

Sunil, I can see it all clearly...

Yes sir, you are famous for your intuition.

It's that guard, Dhananjoy. Just you see.

Yes, sir.

What is this?

This is the generator room.

Dhananjoy lives here, sir. - Huh?

What had I told you, Sunil? - Yes, sir?

He lives here but he isn't here now.

Yes, sir. - Which means he has fled.

Right, sir.

Let's go! - Yes, sir. This way...

Sir...

At around 9:15PM, the girls father, Nishant Parekh...

...called Bhowanipore Station to report that his daughter had been murdered.

And then?

Then we came and investigated the matter.

Observations?

It seems to be a rape case.

Hmm.

We found visible injuries to the face and neck.

We also found a button and a chain necklace.

Any other injuries?

The nose is broken, and so is the hyoid bone in the neck.

Looks like she had been strangled.

So the mother was the first to discover the body?

Yes, sir.

We have recorded her statement.

Hmm.

She suspects a security guard by the name of Dhananjoy.

Madam had left at 5:20PM

The man visited the flat after that.

When did madam return?

5:50PM, sir.

A few people remember seeing Dhananjoy leave the building at 5:45PM

Is that so?

Yes, sir.

He broke her hands and legs.

At around 5:50PM Hema Parekh's mother...

...returned home after attending the aarti at the Laxmi Narayan Temple

And at around 5:45PM...

...quite a few people from the building saw...

...Dhananjoy Chatterjee, a security guard at the building...

...leaving this house.

According to the mother's statement...

...the girl was murdered and raped.

Sir, forensic?

When is the forensic report- - It will arrive.

The family suspect the security guard, Dhananjoy Chatterjee.

We haven't found him yet.

But we are searching.

Today's top stories...

The Hema Parekh murder case has been handed over to the Lal Bazar Detective Department.

The case is being headed by the new investigating officer Sunil Basu Mullick.

The prime suspect Dhananjoy is said to be on the run, while the police are on the hunt.

Sunil, when I have a hunch...

Yes, sir?

...it is never wrong.

Right, sir.

Dhananjoy 100% - Yes.

When his intuition fails, he cries like a baby.

Don't talk rubbish!

Rubbish?

Don't you get depressed when your intuition fails you?

Sujit Da it's not that easy to beat sir.

Investigation is in his blood-

Just shut it! A blind man can see that it's Dhananjoy!

I will prove it in a few days.

Come on... - Come on!

Where is he? Get him out! - Get him out!...

Bring that bugger out! - Come out you scumbag!...

Please don't hit him. He's not Dhananjoy.

He is his younger brother.

Dhananjoy. Get him out here. I'm warning you...

Or else we will do to you all, what Dhananjoy did to that girl.

Hey! Talk to me.

Talk to me. - Listen up you swine-

Your dad's a swine!

Old sod, aren't you ashamed?

How could you give birth to such a degenerate creature?

I'll throttle you! - No, no!

Trying to threaten me?

Trying to be tough? - Yes!

While your son is out raping women!

I'll kill you!... - Please don't hurt him!...

Let him go, sir!...

Here you go!

What has he done?...

You'd better get Dhananjoy out of hiding.

Or else we will be back!

Come back if you dare...

Dhananjoy was untraceable for about 2 months.

He had escaped to Rourkela, and was discreetly working there.

He thought he would return once things had cooled down.

I think...

...it was the month of May.

Chandra? Wasn't it the month of May?

I want to go home.

Chandra, you know why we have come here, don't you?

Don't you?

It's of no use.

They will scare me again.

They will kill me.

No one will be able to touch you.

As long as I am there.

Relax.

So Dhananjoy returned to Bankura...

...and then?

You've grown thin...

Where is the bugger?

Who is this bugger? - Get up!

Get the Hell up!...

Where is Dhananjoy? - Baba...

Get him out! - Get the rascal out!

Get all the rascals out! - So much screaming in the middle of the night...

So, you old sod! I told you I'd be back!

Get in a line! All of you...

Stand in line!

Didn't we tell you to stand?!

Where is the scoundrel?

Where is he?

Where is he? - Get him out!

Where is he? Why aren't you replying?

Where is Dhananjoy?

Sir! Come out back!

Let's move...

Wait, wait... - Which way?

He's somewhere in this room. The dog reacted here.

He must be hiding here.

Flash the lights...

Sir, I think he's on this side. - Either here or there...

Must be here...

This side? - Dhananjoy!

Come out now! Or else we will skin you dry!

Come out now! - Look here...

Sir, I- - There he is!

Get out! - I...

Get the bugger out!

Get the bloody scoundrel! - Get out!

Hiding from the cops... - Get him!...

Please don't mutilate him in front of me.

No more in front of me...

Please take him away.

Come on!

Get the seizure list ready!

Get the car! - Ma...

Give me some water. - I will-

He wants water!

Get lost!

Oh no!...

My Dhana!...

My Lord...

...according to the testimony of public witness number 3...

Mrs. Survi Parekh, the mother of victim, Hema Parekh...

...on the day of the calamity, she had gone to Laxmi Narayan Temple at 5:20PM...

and returned at 6:05PM

But at 5:25PM...

...the accused, Mr.Dhananjoy Chatterjee...

...had visited Hema Parekh's flat...

...rung the bell at flat number 3A...

...and what happened next...

...was gruesome beyond imagination.

I need to make a call to the agency.

Hmm.

Could I get some water?

Oh.

Yes... The phone.

Not being able to connect...

So, are you done?

I have something to say to you...

Say it from where you are standing.

Why? Don't you like me?

Please speak from afar!

Just listen to me... - No!

No, please... - Just hear me out...

Stay away! - But...

I have told my father about you. - Just listen...

Just listen- - No!

Why are you doing this? - Just hear me out!

No!

Bloody skank!

The audacity to hit me?!

Take that!

Be quiet! Don't you scream!

Stay down you harlot! - Please let me go!

Open up! - No!

Let me go! I will tell my father about you!

Please let me go!

Please let me go!

Come! - Please let me go!

Dhananjoy!

Dhananjoy?

I'm coming!

I shall speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I shall speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Dhananjoy Chatterjee...

What is your father's name?

Dhananjoy Babu?

Hmm? - What is your father's name?

Soshibhu... - What?

Mr.Soshibhushan Chattyopadhyay.

Mr.Soshibhushan Chattyopadhyay, very good...

So on the 5th of March you went to Hema Parekh's flat where you raped and murdered her?

I didn't do anything of the sort- - Umhum!

Tell that to the judge and the court. Not me.

My Lord, I am innocent. I have not done any of this.

On that day, I completed my shift by 2pm...

...and didn't return to Sunanda Apartments after that.

When I was on duty in the morning, I met Mr.Parekh. You could ask him?

Why would I do this? I bear no enmity -

I understand that.

But Mr.Prabal Pati and security guard Janak Raj Murmu...

...say they saw you there at 5:45PM.

Who said so? They're lying!

Don't shout! This is a court of law.

Mr.Ghosh, please...

Hmm. Tell me...

My Lord, I completed my shift at 2PM and left that place.

Where did you go?

Huh?

Where did you go?

I had gone to the cinema hall, My Lord...

At what time?

Umm... I had gone for the 3PM show.

But Mr.Prati and Mr.Murmu said...

...that when they called out to you, you poked your head out of the verandah and called out to them?

Objection, My Lord!

Sustained.

Hmm.

My Lord, calling out from the balcony would be unfeasible...

...because the verandah is grilled and there is not enough space for one to stick his neck out.

He is right, My Lord.

I would like to present before the court, a copy of the building's blue print.

Submit it at the time of your argument.

Mr.Sen...

Thank you, My Lord.

Although his face may not have been visible...

...they must have heard his voice, My lord?

Objection, My Lord.

Go on...

The witnesses claim to have seen him...

None of them said that they only heard him.

Mr.Ghosh, will you keep objecting throughout?

No, no... Go ahead.

I have finished, My Lord.

If you wish to cross - examine, you may proceed Mr.Ghosh.

Your Honour, my next witness is Mr. Nishant Parekh, father of the deceased.

I would like to cross - examine him.

Good morning, sir.

How do you know that it was indeed Dhananjoy, who murdered Hema Parekh.?

The liftman Dhanyaram had informed my wife...

...that Dhananjoy had gone to our flat to make a call.

On top of that we found the chain and the button.

Hmm. So whose chain was it?

There's this man called Hari, who works in our building.

He had given it to Dhananjoy as a gift about a month before the incident.

Sir, he's lying.

He's lying! - Wait a minute!

Did Hari tell you this?

Yes, sir. - Ok.

So, Dhanyaram told your wife that Dhananjoy had visited your flat?

Did Dhanyaram also tell her that Dhananjoy had gone there to murder her daughter?

Then how can you be so sure- - He used to harass my daughter!

He used to harrass my daughter, sir.

I had sent in a letter requesting for him to be transferred but...

...he took his anger out on...

Hmm.

So, on the day of the incident...

...on the 5th of March, when you left home in the morning...

...did you see Dhananjoy doing his duty?

Yes, sir. I saw him.

Did you speak to him?

No.

Ok, Mr.Parekh. Thank you so much.

Your Honour...

A metal chain was found at the place of occurence...

...which belongs to someone else.

We cannot be certain about when the owner of the chain presented it to my client.

So how can this prove...

...that the chain was around Dhananjoy's neck and not Hari's?

How could everyone blindly believe something that Hari said?

How could they believe the chain was Dhananjoy's?

This reminds me of Kafka's 'The Trial'.

A bank officer named Joseph was arrested by the police.

He was arrested, tried and executed.

And the interesting thing is...

...that he was never told what he was guilty of.

Even our story is one of magic realism.

Like Kafka's 'The Trial' or...

Camus's 'The Outsider'.

Now you've got my attention.

They've arrived.

Get him down.

Come here. Come here!

Let's go!

Move! - Please step aside...

Please move aside... - Just one question...

No comments please. - Everyone keep your distance...

I am innocent!

Move it!...

Please stay back...

Dhananjoy Babu do you know anyone named Hari?

Yes I do. - Hmm.

Had Hari given you this metal chain to wear?

No, I don't remember him giving me anything like this.

Ok.

Dhananjoy Babu...

Does the button which was found at the scene of the crime...

...belong to you?

No, My Lord, the button sir is referring to...

...I mean the piece of clothing that the button is a part of...

...is from the shirt I got for my wedding.

That shirt is still in Bankura. I have never worn it in Kolkata.

No one in Kolkata has seen that shirt. - Excuse me, My Lord?

There is a marked difference between the testimony he is delivering here...

...and the statement he gave to the police.

You just said that you had handed over the shirt to the police...

...and a button from this shirt was found by Mr.Parekh at the scene of the crime.

Apart from this, My Lord...

...he had also stolen a Rico watch from Mrs.Survi Parekh's almirah.

This watch was also recovered.

The police beat me silly while I was delivering my deposition.

The shirt that sir is referring to was in my wife's trunk.

I don't have any shelves in my house.

When the police arrested me at Bankura,

I was wearing this lungi and this sleeveless inner.

Then they told my family that I will need clothes to wear in jail...

...then they got the clothes and are saying- - Dhananjoy Babu!...

You are overstepping your boundaries.

Answer the questions I ask and nothing more.

That's it, My Lord.

It's not over. I'll be back.

He's all yours Ghosh Babu.

Your Honour, we all know...

...how much of a police interrogation is the truth...

...and how much is forced.

We all still have questions about Article 27 of the Evidence Act.

Objection, Your Honour!

Sustained.

From the Evidence Act, we may only take that which can be proven.

In his deposition to the police, Dhananjoy admitted that the button and the shirt...

...belonged to him.

So, doesn't this prove that...

...he is guilty.

Mr.Sen is right. Is there anything else you would like to say?

Your Honour, all I have to say is...

... we are talking a lot about this shirt...

...about the kinds of buttons it has, how it looks...

It has been heavily profiled.

But there is no mention in any report about...

...what kind of pants Dhananjoy was wearing.

So may we conclude that Dhananjoy's shirt was of such great importance to the police...

...that they did not feel it was necessary to look any further down?

Settle down...

On the 4th of March...

...the security agency sent you a letter stating...

...that you are to no longer continue working at Sunanda Apartments...

...as you have been transferred to Mahesh Apartments.

Isn't that so?

Then why had you gone to work at Sunanda Apartments on the 5th of March?

The letter...

What letter? My Lord, I never received any such letter.

You didn't? - No.

You had gone to watch a film, hadn't you? Where's the ticket?

I did have the ticket.

The ticket, my wallet, papers and money...

...were all seized by them when they arrested me.

And now they're saying that they don't have it.

Thank you, Your Honour.

I would like to ask the officer from the Detective Department in charge of this case,

Sunil Basu Mullick a few little questions.

Sunil Babu? - Yes.

According to the Investigation Report,

when Dhananjoy Chatterjee came down the stairs at Sunanda Apartment's...

...what was he wearing?

Post interrogation we discovered that he was wearing an off white bush shirt.

Were there any blood stains on his clothes?

None of our witnesses mentioned anything about it.

He must have had a torn button and...

...he must also have been panting.

No.

No one has mentioned anything of the sort.

That's all, Your Honour.

Thank you, Mr.Basu Mullick.

Hmm.

Your Honour...

18 year old Hema Parekh has apparently been...

...raped, murdered and...

...injured 21 times by the accused. Who walked down in pristine condition after the event.

The accused enetered at around 5:20PM,

and left at around 5:45PM.

Let's consider that he commited these attrocities within this window.

Remember, it is very strenuous exercise.

So those who had met him post the incident,

did not notice whether his button was torn,

or whether he had blood stains anywhere on his clothing.

If a cinema ticket is considered as a vital piece of evidence in this trial...

...then this information should be given the same importance.

Dhanyaram Yadav...

...you are the liftman at Sunanda Apartments?

Yes, Your Honour.

On the 5th of March, 1990...

...you had taken Dhananjoy Chatterjee up in the lift to the 3rd floor?

No, Your Honour.

No, Your Honour.

No? What does he mean?

So, you had taken Hema Parekh up to her flat?

This is also untrue, My Lord.

I didn't see Hema while my duty was on till 2PM.

But you have told the police otherwise.

You have told them that you took Dhananjoy up to the third floor.

You also said that you informed Survi Parekh...

...that you had taken Dhananjoy to her flat, while she was coming up the lift with you.

You have said this to the police yourself.

This is not true, My Lord.

I am an ignorant and illiterate man.

The police wrote some things in English and took my thumb print.

How am I to understand what they wrote?

Oh...

So, whatever you have written as a witness...

...is all fabricated? Am I rig-

Objection, My Lord!

My learned friend is trying to manipulate the witness.

Not at all, Mr.Sen.

Mr.Ghosh, you can continue.

Thank you, Your Honour. - What is happening?

So... Dhanyaram Yadav...

...on the 5th of March, you never once saw Mr.Dhananjoy Chatterjee?

No, My Lord, I saw him.

I saw him at 4PM-

Ok, so when did you see Survi Parekh leave?

I saw Mrs.Parekh leave...

...for the temple at around 4:15PM

Saw her leaving for the temple at 4:15PM?

Yes.

So at 4:15PM Survi Parekh went to the temple.

Mrs. Parekh...

At 4:15PM? - Yes, sir.

According to the prosecution's statement Survi Parekh left for the temple at 5:20PM.

But Dhanyaram Yadav is saying that she left at 4:15PM

Time, is a very important factor in this case.

What happened after that?

Somewehere between 5:30PM and 5:45PM while I was coming down with Karuna...

...I saw Dhananjoy coming down the stairs.

At that time, did you see any blood stains on his clothing?

No...

Were any of the buttons of his shirt torn?

I didn't notice that much.

Point to be noted, My Lord...

...there is no direct evidence in this case.

Till today, we were under the assumption that Survi Parekh had gone to the temple at 5:20PM

If that can change to 4:15PM in an instant...

...then the calculations made by the prosecution lose credibility.

And further, the testimony of all previous witnesses lose credibility as well.

Objection, Your Honour!

What is there to object?

He has become discreditable.

Who?

The witness has become completely discreditable.

Because he is denying everything he had said to the police in his previous statement.

Mr.Ghosh, do you have anything to say?

Because Dhananjoy is accused...

...all testimony delivered in this court against him...

...is admissable as the truth.

But the prime witness in the case...

...whose statement led to the arrest of Dhananjoy...

...is now saying that he did not say any of those things...

...then why won't that testimony be admissable in this court, Your Honour?

Dr.Dipten Guha Roy...

Doctor Babu?

You conducted the post-mortem in this case?

Yes, I did.

Please let the court know.

Ms.Hema Parekh...

...had 21 marks of injury on her body.

She had scratch marks on her face and lips and...

...her upper body had bruises indicating that she had been punched.

And?

Her hymen was ruptured.

Ok. So what may we conclude from this study?

Sexual intercourse had taken place but it was preceded by roughhousing.

Your Honour, sexual intercourse had taken place.

Preceded by roughhousing.

And in the report summary, you have let the police know...

...that this was a case of rape and murder. Isn't that so?

Yes.

How did you deduce that roughousing was involved?

Your Honour, points number 14,16,17 and 18 of the post-mortem...

...that is the upper portion of the left hand,

the elbow,

the hip portion and the face,

...are laden with injuries.

This proves that Hema Parekh was not involved in an act of consensual sex.

That's all. Thank you, Your Honour.

Please take over.

Mr.Ghosh?

Thank you, Your Honour.

Dr.Guha Roy,

in a letter to the police you stated that...

...this was a case of rape and murder.

In your report you had written...

...'subjected to sexual intercourse.'

Do both these statements mean the same, Dr.Guha Roy?

Subjected to sexual intercourse.

That is what's written in the post-mortem report.

What gave birth to the rape theory?

What did the mother say as a witness?

Hema Parekh's mother, Survi Parekh...

...left the city soon after her daughter's death.

She could not be brought to court.

The court dates kept passing by but she was not available.

Then the court was forced to file an order demanding her presence within 2 hours.

So she had to come.

It is true that Dhananjoy...

...used to harass my daughter.

We had sent a letter of complaint to the agency.

We had requested that he be dismissed from his duty...

...and...

...in his anger, he killed my daughter.

He even stole a watch.

My Lord...

...this is the motive.

On the 2nd of March, Mr.Nishant Parekh had written a letter...

... to the security agency requesting that Dhananjoy be dismissed.

And the security agency...

...dispatched the transfer order on the 4th of March...

...which stated that Dhananjoy Chatterjee will no longer work at Sunanda Apartments...

...as he has been transferred to Mahesh Apartments.

But Dhananjoy disregarded the order.

He completed his duty at Sunanda Apartments by 2PM on the 5th of March...

...then he left the apartment complex, returned at 5:25PM and then...

...he raped and murdered her daughter.

Thank you, My Lord.

Mr.Ghosh?

Thank you, Your Honour.

Mrs.Parekh...

Yes?

When you went to visit the temple...

...where did you keep the keys to the flat?

Sir, I forgot.

My daughter was in the flat...

...so I overlooked it. I just pulled the latch and left.

When you returned to the flat...

...and saw Hema's dead body on the floor...

...for the first time...

Oh God! - Oh my God!

...what did you think about?

I thought about taking her to the hospital.

Hmm. But you didn't do that.

You were searching for Dhananjoy inside the flat.

Dhananjoy...

Why?

Because Dhanyaram had said that Dhananjoy had come to the flat just before me.

Yes. - Hmm.

But then you were unable to find Dhananjoy anywhere in the flat.

After which you took your daughter in your arms and attempted to go to the hospital.

Someone get the lift?!

But you didn't go to the hospital.

Instead, you sat with her body inside a lift for one hour.

Why?

Because...

...I couldn't take it, mentally.

And the doctor had also declared her dead.

Sorry, Mrs.Parekh...

...you did not inform the police of anything from 6PM to 9:15PM.

Why?

Sir...I was waiting for my husband.

Mrs.Parekh where were you at 4:15PM?

At home.

My daughter and I were both inside the flat.

Right. Thank you Mrs.Parekh.

Please.

Your Honour...

...Mrs.Parekh claims that Dhanyaram had informed her...

...that he had taken Dhananjoy to her flat just before she returned.

That is why it was quite natural for Mrs.Parekh to suspect Dhananjoy.

But Dhanyaram claims that he said nothing of the sort to Mrs.Parekh.

So then, how can we assume that my client was present at the place of occurence?

Objection My Lord!

Sustained.

If we consider Dhanyaram's testimony to be accurate...

...we must remember that he placed Dhananjoy at Sunanda Apartments at 4PM.

Then Dhananjoy's alibi, where he stated that he had gone to watch the matinee show...

...should also be regarded as untrue, My Lord.

And in addition to this Dhanyaram also stated that...

...he saw Dhananjoy coming down the stairs of Sunanda Apartments at 5:45PM

So, this proves that...

...no matter what time Dhananjoy entered Sunanda Apartments...

...he walked down the stairs of the apartment building at 5:45PM

Had Dhananjoy really gone to watch a movie at 3? What do you think?

Sir, I think Dhananjoy's lawyer's had a problem creating an alibi for him.

And Dhananjoy only said what his lawyer's had taught him to say.

Hmm.

If he had gone to watch a movie at 3PM...

...then it would not have been possible for...

...that many witnesses to have seen him at 5:45PM

Hmm.

And in an effort to prove that he had gone to the cinema at 3PM...

...his lawyer overlooked the fact that Dhanya had seen him upstairs at 4PM

And as a result of that,

no one cross-examined whether Survi Parekh left for the temple at 4:15PM

Hmm.

That means, the inability to prove an alibi...

...went against Dhananjoy?

Exactly, sir.

And this one lie...

...ruined him.

Please tell the court what happened on the 12th of May?

Your Honour, on the 12th of May, we raided Dhananjoy's house in the middle of the night.

And we found Dhananjoy at his paternal uncle's house.

Prabhat Babu, where did you find...

...the evidence for the murder?

We found the shirt which matched the button at the crime scene in Dhananjoy's house.

No! He's lying!

Sir, he beat me mercilessly all night.

He assaulted me in front of my family!

Now he's lying. He took my clothes! - Don't shout!...

Ghosh Babu, tell them that he's lying! - Silence!

He's lying...

Sir, I found the Rico watch.

Your Honour...

...this is the shirt which was found at Dhananjoy's home at Chatna.

If you look closely at the shirt, you will notice that...

...all the buttons are of the same colour, except this one.

And this button, which was found at Hema Parekh's house...

...matches the other buttons on the shirt.

My Lord, these are all lies...

I am innocent, I haven't done any of this. I'm innocent...

If you were innocent then why did you run?

I didn't run! I had taken off from work...

I had completed my duty at 2PM and gone to the cinema for the 3PM show.

The next day was my brother Prakash's thread ceremony, so I had taken off.

I am innocent, My Lord. I haven't done any of this.

I swear that I'm innocent, My Lord!

One cannot be influenced by anyone.

Everyone got influenced by everyone, sir.

From the day of the murder, to the day of execution.

Media and society played a major role.

A court outside court.

I can show you paper cuttings...

On the 6th of March every paper in the city covered the incident.

But it wasn't till the 7th of March that...

...papers mentioned that Dhananjoy used to harass Hema Parekh.

None of the papers mentioned the stolen Rico watch.

If harassment and loss of employment are motives for murder...

...then these issues should have been brought forward on that night itself.

Why weren't they? - Hmm.

Ok, tell me one thing...

...when did the police get a hold of his transfer order?

They asked for the transfer order...

...and a letter from the security agency which was dated 2nd of March,

was provided to the police in June.

March to June.

3 months, sir.

How could it take 3 months?

What do you think?

Sir, I think...

...the motive was created later on.

It took time to make the false papers from the security agency look authentic.

And the media was continuously putting pressure on the government...

...to punish the one responsible as soon as possible.

You can read it in the Supreme Court report.

I have read it.

The courts must not only keep in view the rights of the criminal...

...but also the rights of the victim of the crime and society at large,

while considering the imposition of an appropriate punishment.

This wasn't a matter of punishing a particular criminal.

Dhananjoy's execution was placed as an example to society...

...exemplifying what happens to those who commit such crimes.

If he is guilty then he should be punished.

But without any direct evidence...

Only on the basis of circumstantial evidence, how could someone be punsihed so harshly?

To be hanged till death...

Hey! Soshi Babu is coming! - Let's go...

You have been conducting a Puja, wishing for something...

What do you think?

Will your son be able to escape the gallows?

Do you think that the decision that has been taken can be overturned?

I have been praying to the Holy Goddess all my life.

She has never disappointed me.

And She will not start now.

My Dhananjoy...

...will return to me.

Soshi Babu...

Come. - Thank you.

Go on, then...

A few days after the murder...

...a political leader from the Gujarati Society...

...met the CM at the time...

...and requested that the case be swiftly taken care of.

I've heard that the CM at the time...

...was so irritated with the delay in execution, that he threatened to resign...

...if the culprit wasn't given immediate punishment.

Really?

Political parties have a habit of trying to please the public.

And then?

What more can there be?

The execution was announced. - Hmm.

Dhananjoy's family submitted a mercy plea...

...to the office of the president. But...

...it was not possible because society was very active at the time.

No mercy pleas, no pardons...

The CM's wife at the time...

...held gatherings in support of the hanging.

There were popular articles documenting the fact...

...that the girl was raped after she was murdered.

Hmm. - Yes, sir.

And yes...

...everybody believed it.

Ofcourse they would. She was the CM's wife after all.

Tea or coffee? - Anything, sir.

Dhananjoy's family continuously wrote letters to the press in his defence, but...

...not a single paper published anything of the sort.

I won't be taking any calls now.

Come in.

Why did the public have such a problem?

I don't know.

Let's assume that Dhananjoy had committed the crime.

But then why was he kept in jail for 14 years before he was hanged?

Didn't he get punished twice for the same crime?

So you think the vote bank was a major issue?

Yes, sir.

The Gujarati society is a huge vote bank which no one wants to lose.

And the state government at the time was allied with the centre.

And yes...

...politics played its game at large.

And then?

15th August,

2004.

Dhananjoy?

Doctor Babu?

You have helped me a lot.

It's my job as a psychiatrist.

I'm feeling terrible today.

I wouldn't have come, but the boy told me so...

Do you have a last wish?

You sing well...

...could you sing a song for me?

A Manna Dey song?

Could you get my harmonium from my quarters?

I hear the pitious call, the sweet melody of life,

It says, "Come be with me."

Come be next to me...

This wonderous song is carried by the wind across the ocean of life.

It asks me to run, To come fast,

For here there is no death, No angst of age,

It asks me to run, To come fast,

For here there is no death, No angst of age,

The wind here is blooming with melody,

And the world is in elegant harmony,

It is evergreen,

And the moon in full bloom abounds,

This wonderous song is carried by the wind across the ocean of life.

May you all be well.

I am being hanged only because I am poor.

Please ensure that no innocent man is sent to the gallows again.

May God bless you all...

(Groaning)

(Bird call)

Bloody witch! Call yourself Kali?

You are the rich man's Kali!

I will destroy you today!

So what is your observation?

One...

...when did the murder occur?

Two...was the victim raped?

Three, in what condition was the food found in her stomach?

Four, most of the forensic tests were inconclusive.

Five...

...the stolen Rico watch, the chain necklace...

...and the broken button need to be examined for their credibility as evidence.

In solving a problem of this sort...

...the grand thing is to be able to reason backward.

Exactly.

Sir, the time span was merely half an hour.

In which 21 injuries were inflicted.

The victim was murdered and raped.

The suspect stole a Rico watch and called out from the balcony.

After which he interacted with 2 witnesses and his clothing was prim and proper.

Why wasn't he more discreet about the matter?

He stole the Rico watch and kept it for 2 months.

He didn't sell it. Not even in Rourkela.

It's as if he was waiting for the police to find it.

Is it not strange?

Sir, there's one more thing.

After Dhananjoy's execution...

...his family didn't accept his body.

It was said that even his family were disgusted by him.

I understand.

If they accepted the body then they would lose all rights to further judgement.

Exactly.

Sir...

...should I?

You should.

And I will assist you on this case.

Hmm.

Thank you, sir.

I can't do it.

I can't.

Why not Chandra?

Don't you think...

...we should explore the doubts that we have?

He's gone.

But I know...

...that he's innocent.

Uncle!...

Uncle...

...the news is saying that Dhana's case is being reopened.

There's a female lawyer.

She is creating a stir in Kolkata!

Let me tell everyone!

In the year 2004, security guard Dhananjoy Chatterjee ...

...was hanged for his involvement in the Hema Parekh murder case.

Today, advocate Kavya Sinha, is bringing a new point of view on this case to the table.

She is being assisted by her senior, the famous Supreme Court advocate Shivraj Chowdhury.

Kavya guarantees that new evidence shall be brought to the forefront in this case.

We will be back with more news after this break.

Mumbai 26th April, 2008

I have nothing to say.

Nothing.

Ma'am, we know what you have- - Go away!

Go...

I have said everything I had to. Now go...

Did Hema change in front of you that day?

Who are you?

Who are you? Leave! - Ma'am relax...

Leave! - The thing is...

Mrs.Parekh...

...this case is being reopened.

Hope to see you soon.

In court.

Sir could you please tell us something?... - Ma'am please...

Ma'am please say something...

Please tell us something?

Circumstantial evidence led to Dhananjoy's execution.

We will take these pieces of evidence and present an opinion contrary to the present verdict.

You'll be really surprised.

Thank you.

Sir, madam, a few more questions... - That's all for now.

If Mr.Pati and Mr.Murmu called out to Dhananjoy from here-

Impossible.

If they called him from here, he'd have to come out.

Exactly.

Hema was a very sweet girl.

I didn't know her that well...

...but she used to visit this gentleman upstairs who would help her with her lessons.

On that day she came here after school.

Hello, Aunty.

You had an exam? - Hmm.

How did it go? - It was good. Ok, see you.

What time was it?

Some time in the afternoon...

And then?

Then I went to sleep.

When I woke up, I heard the ruckus.

I found out that Hema had died.

Didn't the police interrogate you after the incident?

Yes.

But you weren't called in as a witness?

No.

Sorry ma'am I can't speak to you.

Dr.Bhasin, just 5 minutes. Tell me whether you examined Hema Parekh or not?

Just a little information.

Please. I don't want to speak to you.

Please!

I can understand sir. But please if you coop-

No. I'm sorry...

You may go.

Shivraj Chowdhury. - Thanks.

Kavya Sinha.

Namaste.

So...you knew Dhananjoy?

Yes, of course.

I beg your pardon.

But you could speak in Bengali if you wish.

Sir, do you think that Dhananjoy was capable of doing something like this?

No.

He was a strict boy.

I have never heard of any occassion where he has harassed or...

... behaved badly with a girl.

So you mean...

So you had never heard of the times where he had teased and harassed Hema Parekh?

Never.

Ever.

At that time I was the president of The Flat Owner's Association.

But I have never heard of anything like this.

No one had even complained.

And the talk of his transfer had come to the surface much later.

So these claims...

So you were never called in as a witness?

No.

Thank you Dr.Tandon.

This is...

How could such an important witness not be called in?

Yes, sir.

You will notice that a lot of important witnesses...

...were never called.

Strange... - Ya.

Yes?

Satyajit Sanyal?

Were you the OC of the Homicide department at the time of the Dhananjoy murder case?

I don't remember.

We only want to ask a few simple questions.

I am not compelled to answer.

That's true.

But if you are called to court you shall be compelled to answer.

When was it confirmed that Dhananjoy had indeed committed the crime?

On the night of the murder itself?

We collected all the evidence in order to make our case.

Are you sure you didn't do it the other way around?

What do you mean?

Maybe the evidence was placed in such a way that...

...it would incriminate Dhananjoy?

You are an advocate. Not a policeman.

We have an investigative eye.

And Satyajit Sanyal's intuition is always proved to be accurate by the proceeding investigation.

Exactly, sir.

And this is why, when the body was sent for a post-mortem report...

...the police wrote a letter to the Professor of Forensic and State Medicine saying that...

'This appears to be a case of murder and rape.'

6th March, 1990. Am I right?

'appears to be rape and murder.' What's the problem with that?

I understand that you can assume it's murder but...

...how did you know she was raped? Could you see her and tell?

Doesn't experience count for anything?

Of course it does- - And observation!

Exactly sir. Experience... I understand. But...

...21 injuries on the face, neck and shoulders...

...but no injuries on the lower half of the body.

So?

I am sure that you have handled many a rape case in your day but...

...have you ever handled one where...

...there are no injuries to the lower half of the body?

All injuries limited to the face, neck and shoulders?

It was a consensual rape.

What?

We need to find out when Mrs.Parekh actually returned home.

Then we can accurately organise a chain of events.

Excuse me?

Are you Prakash Chatterjee?

Prakash, what else had your brother told you?

On the 5th of March, a little after 6 Dada was returning to Bhowanipore after watching a film.

On the way he met 2 people from his security company.

Shibu Da and Mujammal Haq.

Dhana, what are you doing here?

Why? - The police are looking for you. Run!

Why are they looking for me?

Hema Parekh has been murdered.

Not just that, she was raped aswell.

They informed Dada about the murder.

Mujammal...

Mujammal Haq is the person who testified...

...that he had handed over Dhananjoy's transfer letter to him.

And then?

You are the prime suspect.

Yes. - Me?

Yes, you. - What rubbish!

Take my advice...

Just get out of here. Come with us.

Wait, wait. So much has happened, let me go and see it for myself.

You bloody idiot! If you go there now all of us will be in trouble!

We don't have much time. Let's go!

Where am I to go? I need to go to my village for Prakash's thread ceremony tomorrow.

I have bought fruits for- - Are you a fucking idiot?

The police are looking everywhere for you and...

Let's go. We'll explain later. - Where are we going?

Why are they accussing me? - Just come with me!

I am taking you to the right place. Trust me.

Mujammal, get in to the car.

What have I done? - If they catch you nothing will matter.

Dhana just trust us.

In a few days this case will die down. Then you can return.

Move it!

The car dropped my brother to the Bhirni crossing at Durgapur and left.

Oh Mona Da!

Are you inside the house?

Mona Da?

Mona Da?

Mona Da, I was saying...

...do you have a big pot?

We need it for the thread ceremony.

And Ma is asking you and your wife to hurry up.

What happened Dada?

How come you're here?

Why are the police looking for you?

There's been some trouble in Kolkata.

Oh no!

It will sort itself out in a couple of days.

Don't think about it. Concentrate on your thread ceremony.

Yes...

And tell our parents that I will come and see them when things cool down.

Don't talk about this. Don't tell anyone!

Now, go.

And listen...

Tell my wife to meet me if she can.

Now go.

Don't tell anyone!

Get inside. - Huh?

Get inside!

He came home only once after that.

Ma fed him a plate full of rice and told him to run.

He went to Rourkella after that? - I could do nothing!

Nothing...

The truth will be told. - What?

It will never be told!

We know the truth! Everyone here knows the truth!

I have carried the truth for so long!

If I say it, they'll shiver in their chairs! The Babu's dirty laundry will come out.

Such contradictory statements.

He hasn't been cross-examined properly.

You'll notice it, if you take a look at the court papers.

So many witnesses came and went but...

...Dhananjoy's lawyer never felt it was necessary to cross-examine them.

And the ones he did cross-examine had no impact.

He seemed to have lost interest in the case. Let's go.

And Prakash said that they couldn't bear the cost.

Why are you bothering me?

How can I work without money?

You are already behind on your dues and this is a long case.

We have already mortgaged our land. We will get the money soon.

Please don't drop the case. Save my brother.

I will get you the money.

I will sell my land.

I will sell my wife's jewellery but please save my son.

Save my son.

Prakash...

The more sugar you add the sweeter it will be.

If you pay, I'll do my job. Or else he hangs.

Hey! - What is he saying?

Sir!

Have a seat.

Would you like some tea? - Yes.

They put a lot of milk... - That's fine.

Two tea... Where did he go?

Look here. Two teas.

There's just one thing that I don't get.

If I go by what Dhananjoy's brother said...

...it seems that Mujammal and Shibu...

...arranged for the car before they met Dhananjoy?

Dada...

Sir...

...will a man who earns 800 rupees a month...

...ever think of escaping in a car?

No. His first option will be a bus.

Or a train. Isn't it?

You're saying someone arranged it?

Maybe.

It may also be that the car had arrived for some other purpose but...

...was not needed.

What are you saying? - Yes, sir...

Let's say the car had come to take Hema Parekh's body away.

But it wasn't possible because the crowd was too thick.

And that car takes Dhananjoy away.

Ok. So why didn't Dhananjoy say all of these things?

His lawyer kept trying to prove his 3PM cinema alibi.

He had no other alibi to present.

I think...

...Dhananjoy was told not to say these things.

Interesting.

I heard they had found Dhananjoy with a bloodied shirt in the generator room.

This isn't true, is it? - Absolute rumour.

The seizure report has no mention of it!

So, Dhananjoy didn't live in the generator room? - No.

Dhananjoy lived at Binapani School.

And the generator room mentioned is a 15x5 foot room...

...which houses a 7X4 foot generator.

As well as other things.

It's not possible for a person to live there.

But Hema Parekh's family claimed that he lived there.

Why?

Sir, it's very obvious.

If the police don't find a suspect at the place where he lives...

...then it makes it obvious that he has fled and he becomes a suspect.

Good.

Why is there so much noise in the court room?

Please settle down.

Ms.Kavya Sinha, you may proceed.

Your Honour...

...there are no eye witnesses to the Hema Parekh rape and murder case on 5th March, 1990.

The court sentenced Dhananjoy to death on the basis of circumstantial evidence.

No matter what the outcome of this case may be...

...two souls will still be lost to us forever.

Dhananjoy Chatterjee and Hema Parekh.

There are some irregularities in this particular case...

...which had escaped the view of others.

If we can tie these irregularities together...

...we may be able to come up with a different conclusion.

Ms.Kavya Sinha, are you talking about a conspiracy theory?

No, Sir. I am not saying that the police force...

...or the legal practitioners of the time were involved in a conspiracy.

But the irregularities give birth to a number of questions.

I don't know if Dhananjoy Chatterjee is innocent or not.

But I want to show the court what the outcome may have been...

...if the case was looked at differently.

In the course of this trial...

...you shall see that Dhananjoy Chatterjee has been persecuted by destiny...

...in the manner of a Greek Tragedy.

He was destined to be hanged.

A number of irregularities could not save him.

There were many instances where witnesses could have been cross-examined...

...to prove that Dhananjoy Chatterjee should have been given the benefit of the doubt.

But that did not happen.

Proceed.

Thank you, Your Honour.

Your Honour...

...Dhananjoy Chatterjee had murdered Hema Parekh.

His main motive was said to be revenge.

Dhananjoy Chatterjee used to harass Hema Parekh.

So be it.

A written complaint was lodged by Hema Parekh's father...

...Nishant Parekh.

He was the chairman of the Flat Association at the time.

I would like your permission to call him to the witness box.

Proceed.

Mr.Parekh...

...when had you left home on the day of Hema Parekh's murder?

Around 10-11AM

In your testimony you had stated that...

...you had met Dhananjoy Chatterjee on your way out that day.

He was on duty. Am I right?

Yes.

Didn't you say anything to him?

No.

Why?

In accordance to your complaint, Dhananjoy should have been transferred by then.

And yet he was still working at your house.

Didn't you want to know why?

No...

You were the chairman of the Housing Association.

He was working inspite of your complaint. Why didn't you say anything?

No.

Mr.Parekh, I will read a few lines from your written complaint...

...and you tell me whether you have written it or not.

Hmm.

'This is to inform you, my daughter Ms.Hema Parekh...

...an 18 year old student of Welland Goldsmith...

...was regularly teased and harassed by Dhananjoy Chatterjee...

...a security guard.

Did you write this?

Look closely.

Yes, I wrote it.

Your Honour...

...the language of the letter written to the agency makes me suspiscious.

If there's a problem with the guard just be direct and remove him.

This sounds like a formal testimony.

To be precise...

...these kinds of testimonies are written in police stations.

Objection, My Lord.

How can we judge the merit of a case on the basis of how someone writes a letter?

No, no, Mr.Kar.

This objection can't be sustained. Please sit down.

Thank you, Your Honour.

Dhananjoy Chatterjee used to harass my daughter.

Why has the harassment moved to the past tense?

It may be a small grammatical error.

Because when this complaint was written...

...Ms.Parekh's existence was already in the past.

I would like to cross-examine the witness while Kavya settles the papers.

May I, Your Lordship? - Proceed, Mr.Chowdhury.

Thank you.

So, Bimal Babu... I hope you are doing well?

Yes... - Good.

What is your security company's payment procedure?

The employees sign vouchers and-

Please address the court.

The employees are made to sign vouchers.

The employees get paid once they have signed a voucher. Good.

Do you offer gratuity or a provident fund?

No.

Medical earned leave?

No. - Objection, Your Honour!

I think my learned friend intends to open an employment exchange.

You never know, my dear learned friend.

Fate commands us all.

So let's come back to the point.

You have none of this but the format for your transfer orders are completely by the book?

Yes.

And such a transfer order was handed to Dhananjoy,

stating that he had been transferred to Mahesh Apartments?

Dhananjoy Chatterjee has repeatedly denied this fact.

He claims to have had no idea of the transfer.

Your Honour, Dhananjoy had said a lot of things which weren't necessarily true.

Mr.Kar, we are here to uncover the truth.

So, Bimal babu is this the transfer order...

...that had been sent to Dhananjoy Chatterjee?

Yes. - Ok.

This is the transfer order that had been sent to transfer Dhananjoy to Mahesh Apartments.

And Ajay Thapa was supposed to be his replacement at Sunanda Apartments.

So if this is Dhananjoy Chatterjee's transfer order...

...where is Thapa's?

Why are you looking in that direction? Look at me.

No...

I'm asking you a simple question.

Was it sent? And if it was, then why wasn't it presented in court?

Simple question.

Your Honour, Ms.Sinha will take over from here.

No, no, I have an objection!

What are you objecting to?

Thapa's transfer order has nothing to do with case.

Please sit down.

Please, Ms.Sinha...

The transfer order is connected to this case.

Because this transfer order gave birth to Dhananjoy's motive.

Bimal Babu...

...when did Mr.Nishant Parekh inform you that...

...Dhananjoy Chatterjee used to harass Hema Parekh?

The date on the letter is the 2nd of March.

The 2nd of March.

When was the transfer order issued?

2 days after that.

2 days after...that means the 4th of March, right?

Yes.

But on the 5th of March Nishant Parekh saw Dhananjoy...

...working at the building but said nothing.

Why?

Your Honour... - So-

...maybe he was unmindful at the time.

But we have the papers. The documentation. The proof.

I object, my friend.

Proceed, Ms.Sinha.

The document he is referring to, reached the police 4 months after Hema Parekh's death.

Why did it take that long?

No one asked for the transfer order on the day after the murder?

And there is a reason for that, Your Honour.

The reason is that Bimal Babu was not in Kolkata at the time.

Isn't that so, Bimal Babu?

Don't nod your head. Say yes or no.

Yes.

Where were you?

Where were you?

Ok. I'll tell them.

Your Honour, he was in Mumbai.

He got news of Hema Parekh's death and returned.

But Mr.Prabal Pati had already submitted a statement to the police...

...and he submitted his statement on the 9th of March.

But prior to this, no newspaper had printed anything about the transfer order...

...because the transfer order had never been issued.

Sir...

Your Lordship, I have just one question to ask Bimal Babu.

Bimal babu, this Prabal Pati...

...the gentleman, who is your supervisor.

He had gone to check whether Dhananjoy was working in the correct building.

Had he also gone to check whether Ajay Thapa was working in the correct building?

I don't know.

Your Honour, these papers have been accepted by three courts already.

I am not saying that they haven't been accepted.

We are trying to find out if the incident occured.

Whether Dhananjoy Chatterjee actually harassed Hema Parekh.

Or whether it was all arranged to falsely convict Dhananjoy Chatterjee...

...of murder and rape.

It's a nice story, but...

...the truth is stranger than fiction, my friend.

Your Honour, with your permission we would like to discuss the proceeding events.

Proceed.

Thank you.

What took you so long?

Your Honour...

...according to the information provided, Survi Parekh had gone to the temple at 5:20PM

But there is a notebook entry which says it was 6:05PM

On that night the DCDD informed reporters that she had returned at 5:50PM

At around 5:50PM Hema Parekh's mother...

...returned home after attending the aarti at the Laxmi Narayan Temple.

So the duration we have to work with is from 5:20PM to 5:50PM

Half an hour.

What all did Dhananjoy do in this half hour?

Firstly, he was wearing an off white shirt when he went up.

But the colour of the shirt changed once he entered the flat.

And after that...

I'm coming!

Your Honour,

for Dhananjoy to be able to do all of this and still make his way down in time,

he would have to be a superhero.

And when Mr.Pati saw him, he could not make out...

...that the 3rd button of his shirt was missing.

...or that he had been a part of a bloody brawl.

Your Honour, it has been previously proven in court...

...that Dhananjoy took off his clothes before engaging.

So Dhananjoy did not pick up the button that had fallen off his shirt...

...and while he was undressing, Hema Parekh was just sitting idle?

How can we be sure that Hema Parekh did not scream?

Maybe her voice didn't reach the ground floor.

So, Hema Parekh's voice didn't travel down but Janak Murmu could be heard from the ground floor?

Right?

It was understood that it was impossible for Dhananjoy to complete this act in half an hour...

...that's why the time of Survi Parekh's return was changed to 6:05PM

With your permission, Your Honour, I want to look at the post mortem report and...

...I would like to invite Dr.Guha Roy to the witness box.

Proceed.

So, Dr.Guha Roy. What were your observations?

My Lord, there was semen on the pubic hair of the victim.

There was food in her stomach and...

...there were 21 signs of injury on her body.

How did she die?

That... I don't...

May I?

The cause of death as revealed by autopsy...

...was smothering by strangulation, anti-mortem and homicidal in nature.

Yes. - Right?

Was it a one man murder?

Yes.

Then...

..how is it possible to smother by strangulation?

I think that should be smothering and strangulation.

Must be a mistake.

A mistake?

You have stated in the post mortem report that...

...she was subjected to intercourse.

Am I right?

Hmm.

Actually her hymen had been ruptured and there was bleeding.

She was subjected to intercourse.

There is a huge difference between being subjected to intercourse and rape.

So why didn't you write rape?

She had had physical relations...

It may have been consensual?

Right?

There was no semen present on Hema Parekh's vaginal swab.

Dr.Guha Roy, I'm not sure if you have ever seen a rape case where...

...the semen has been found outside the victim's body.

So how could this have been rape?

Generally Your Honour,

when the victim and the accused are engaged in a scuffle...

...then skin samples from the accused tend to be found in the nails of the victim.

If this had happened, DNA samples taken from Dhananjoy could have been tested for a match.

But that never happened.

Because nothing except blood was found under Hema Parekh's nails.

Maybe Hema Parekh didn't get the chance to defend herself.

Hema Parekh had the chance to defend herself but her attacker...

...was a person whom she could not...

...hurt.

Objection, My Lord!

I don't understand what Ms.Sinha is trying to prove.

Who was Hema Parekh's attacker?

Was Dhananjoy not there? Did he not rape her?

Sustained.

Ms. Sinha, how can you prove that she was not raped?

I would like to refer to the post mortem report once again.

Dr.Guha Roy, Hema Parekh was wearing a shirt. Am I right?

Yes. - She was wearing a brasier too?

Her skirt was on aswell but she was missing a pantie.

So, my friend is trying to say that Hema was raped with all her clothes on...

...and then her panties were taken off and thrown away. Right?

Thank you doctor.

The witness is all yours Mr.Kar.

Good.

You're doing great.

Just one little suggestion.

Don't be emotional in the courtroom. It might ruin the case.

Hmm.

The water comes with the ship...

Hey Janank Da!

I'm going up to Mr.Parekh's flat.

I need to call the agency. - Hmm.

Mr.Janak Raj,

what was Dhananjoy's job at Sunanda Apartments?

He was a guard.

He also used to change light bulbs, pay electricity bills and a few other odd jobs.

Did people ask him to do these things?

Yes. He used to shop for people too.

Did he take your permission to go up when he had to do these little odd jobs?

Did he take your permission to go up when he had to do these little odd jobs?

No.

Then why did he ask for your permission- -Objection My Lord!

We must keep in mind that he was no longer a security guard of the building at the time.

He spoke to Murmu as an outsider.

Sustained.

Ms.Sinha, please be more specific.

Ofcourse, Your Honour.

The prosecution claims that Dhananjoy used to live in the generator room of the apartment.

I severely doubt that fact, but let us accept it for now.

So, he lived in the generator room.

If he lived in the generator room, then that was a part of the house.

So then, why would he need permission?

So Dhanyaram Ji, did the people who worked at Sunanda Apartments...

...as in the maids and guards, use the lift to travel?

No, My Lord. They would use the stairs.

They all used the stairs? - Yes.

Point to be noted, Your Honour.

There was no reason for Dhananjoy to use the lift.

And if he didn't use the lift then how could he have met Dhanyaram.

So Dhanyaram, at what time did you see Dhananjoy?

From what I remember it was around 4PM.

4PM? - Yes.

4PM? - Yes, 4PM

Who did you see coming down after this?

After that...

Yes! The next person was Mrs.Parekh, who was off to the temple.

Objection, My Lord!

She had gone to the temple to take part in the aarti at 5:20PM

There's a confusion, Your Honour.

The aarti begins at 5:30PM and it takes her 10 minutes to reach from her home.

And she had left for home by 5:50PM?

So in order to take part in the aarti when exactly did she leave home?

Objection overruled!

Dhanyaram Ji...

...when did you see Dhananjoy next?

I saw him at around...

From what I can remember, My Lord...

...at around 5:30-5:45PM...

...I had seen him climbing down the stairs.

Had you seen him at 1PM, when Hema returned from school?

Hema didn't return home till 2PM

That's for sure.

It's unbelievable, Your Honour!

Survi Parekh had stated that Hema returned home at 1PM

Dhanyaram's testimony has been completely altered.

He is contradicting everything.

You can see for yourself, Your Honour...

...all our previous witnesses have made contradictory statements.

So why is Dhanyaram being called a liar?

I think everyone made their moves on the basis of Dhanyaram's testimony.

Dr.Guha Roy, according to the post mortem report...

...the weight of the undigested food was 100 grams. Right?

Yes, actually...

...it's been 18 years so...

...you don't remember?

Very strange, Your Honour.

People remembered everything for 14 years.

But 4 years after the hanging they've forgotten everything!

Anyway...

...how long would it take an 18 year old girl to digest 100 grams of food?

3 hours? - Yes.

Had the food retained it's original colour and texture?

The food wasn't completely digested.

So how long before her death did she eat?

An hour or two before her death.

I would like to present some paper cuttings from the 6th of March which mention that,

Hema Parekh's hands and legs had been broken.

Objection, My Lord!

There is no mention of this in the post-mortem.

Ofcourse not, Your Honour. Ofcourse not.

But we would like to know why these things had been written in the papers.

That's all we would like to know.

Your Honour, I would like your permission to...

...call Mr.Satyajit Sanyal to the witness box.

How are you, Mr.Sanyal? - I'm well.

Good.

Please tell the court, how long after the time of death does rigor mortis set in?

It starts off about an hour or two after death.

And it spreads to the entire body in about 4 hours.

According to the newspapers Hema Parekh's hands and legs had been broken...

...although nothing of the sort is mentioned in the post-mortem.

But the reporters had definitely seen that her hands and legs were bent.

Why was this?

Due to rigor mortis, Your Honour.

And according to what Mr.Satyajit Sanyal said...

...if Rigor Mortis had spread by 7PM...

...then the time of death would be somewhere between 2:30PM-3:30PM

Now let us see what the undigested food is telling us.

According to Dhanyaram's statement...

...Hema Parekh returned home at around 2PM

She had most probably eaten at around that time.

So then the undigested food suggests that she died somewhere between 2:30-3:30PM

What is this Your Honour? It is a made up story.

My dear learned friend, I am not saying this.

Science is.

If science was given importance 18 years ago...

...we wouldn't be fighting this case today.

The PM report contained much more than circumstantial evidence...

...because the undigested food would have allowed for an accurate estimate of the time of death.

If the victim had been killed by 4PM, then she could not have been raped.

Because Survi Parekh was inside the house at that time.

Objection, My Lord!

Hema Parekh had signs of injury all over her body aswell as a ruptured hymen.

My friend, you are combining two separate incidents.

One is murder and the other is sexual intercourse.

My hunch is that Hema Parekh had had sex with her lover.

Which may be proved by the 21 injuries on her body.

With your permission I would like to use the display board.

21 injuries in total, My Lord.

Maximum injuries are around the face and neck.

2 injuries on the waist and the elbow.

There are bruises and cuts from scratches and punches to the face.

At the end, Hema Parekh died because her Hyoid bone broke.

Reflection of anger, Your Honour.

But why such anger?

We would request forensic expert Kumod Basu to approach the witness box.

Granted.

Mr.Kumod Basu... - Yes?

There was no semen on Hema Parekh's pubic hair.

But there was semen on the floor and on her clothes.

Her vaginal swab- - No.

It did not contain any trace.

...there was sexual intercourse, Your Honour.

Thank you. You might go now.

Ofcourse there was an intercourse, Your Honour.

But it was a consensual intercourse.

They both wanted it to happen.

Because we have never seen a rape case where...

...there are signs of injury to the upper half of the body but...

...but none to the lower half.

But then, who killed her?

We don't know.

Because at that time there were only 2 people inside the house.

Hema Parekh and her mother Survi Parekh.

The 18 year old Hema Parekh did not return home directly from school.

This is what we may conclude from Dhanyaram's statement.

So, where had she gone?

Did she have a boyfriend? Did she go to meet him?

Did she have physical relations with him?

We don't know a thing.

Did Hema Parekh return home after 2? We don't know.

When Hema Parekh was changing out of her school uniform...

...Survi Parekh became suspiscious.

Then she got angry, started hitting her and accidentally...

...broke her hyoid bone. Which led to her death.

Impossible, Sir! I can find nothing to support this absurd theory.

Your Lordship...

...the suspiscion grows...

...when we see that the mother when faced with her daughter's corpse...

...searches the entire flat for Dhananjoy instead of trying to get her daughter to a hospital.

Where is Dhananjoy? Dhananjoy!

The suspiscion grows stronger when...

...we see that the servant of the house, Rakesh had never been called to be a witness.

If Rakesh had been called we may have got an insight into the dynamics of the Parekh family.

We may have found out about the relationship between mother and daughter.

But this never happened!

After the murder, the Parekh family...

...left their locality, closed down their business,

took their son out of college and moved to Mumbai.

Why is that?

Why is it that Survi Parekh's statement about the time of the incident...

...doesn't concur with that of the police.

Doesn't this prove that those witnesses who may have posed a threat to the Parekh family...

...were never called.

Rakesh.

Murmu.

Lolita Bagchi.

Hari.

Tandon.

None of them!

If this makes us suspiscious...

...is that suspiscion not well founded?

I would ask the representatives of the state...

...to prepare answers to these questions on the next date.

So that we may discuss these issues in detail.

My boy left me.

In an effort to get my daughter's married...

...I lost everything.

My house, my land...

...I lost it all.

Many people had assured me...

...that they would save my son.

But none could.

I didn't have the money...

...to hire a big lawyer.

Everyone turned away from me.

What do you think?

Think your son could have done it? - Never!

Never!

I am a Brahmin.

I believe in God.

And these people killed my son.

Oh God!

Sit down.

Get some water!

This happens everyday.

All the time...

This is just how things are.

It just destroyed me.

I am finished.

This is how the rich people in our country...

...kill the ones who are poor.

They suck the life out of you.

When the rich people combine forces...

...the poor never stand a chance.

Only depravation.

Your Honour, for the last 2 days in court, the defendantas have described a fictional thriller.

The judges of 3 courts, including the Supreme Court of India...

...have gone through all the testimonies and then come to this verdict.

And they have also mentioned that this is a very rare case.

A security guard, is one who is responsible for the lives of the residents.

So when he, the protector, kills someone, it is a most heinous crime.

1984, in the case of ex-primeminister, Indira Gandhi's murder,

the court used these very words.

Security guard, Dhananjoy Chatterjee...

...did not have a sound alibi.

He had not been able to produce the ticket for the film he had claimed to have watched.

He had not been able to prove that he was not around that house at 5:30PM

On the contrary, evidence linking him to the crime were found at his house.

His motives were made so clear...

...that there could be no doubt about the fact that he committed the crime.

4 years after the execution...

...we are sitting in court and telling stories which lack any factual premise.

Dhananjoy Chatterjee has written everything very explicitly in his final testimony.

What further proof can be required?

That's all, Your Honour.

Miss Kavya Sinha...

Your Honour,

any and every testimony should be cross-examined to ascertain its validity.

Especially when the testimony and the chain of events leading up to the crime have no link.

So, let us examine...

Hema Parekh was murdered.

Survi Parekh returned home.

She banged on the door. And when she got no response...

...she got people to break down the door and...

...every person saw the body lying in a different position.

This is not a proper argument.

The body was found. The trauma may cause a person to forget exactly where it was.

Your Honour, I would like to call Mr.Satish Pandey to the witness box.

Satish Pandey. - A little louder?

Satish Pandey!

Ok.

I shall read your testimony from the night of the murder. Ok?

Let's see.

You returned home with your family at around 6PM

10-15 minutes after that you heard banging on the Parekh's door and you ran down.

You saw that the door was being broken and once inside...

...you saw Hema Parekh's dead body. Am I right?

Yes. - Hmm.

Survi Parekh stated that she had seen Hema Parekh's corpse at 6:05PM

And Mr.Satish Pandey is saying that the door was being broken at atleast 15 minutes after 6PM.

It was only after that that the body was seen.

The testimonies are contradicting each other.

At what time do you normally return home?

Somewhere between 7 and 8PM

Why did you return early on that day?

I didn't have much work on that day and I had planned to go out with my family.

Your Honour,

the liftman Dhanyaram stated that he saw no one going up between 5-6PM...

...except Mrs. Parekh and Karuna.

I don't know anything about this.

What was the state of Hema Parekh's body when you saw it?

She was lying on the floor.

Were any sensitive regions of the body exposed?

Yes.

The lower half of her body was completely naked.

I could not bare the sight. So I left.

Yes, yes, I understand. Must be terrible.

You haven't said anything about the clothes Hema was wearing on the upper half of her body.

Does that mean it was intact?

That's what your testimony tells us.

Your Lordship...

Mrs.Parekh and Mr.Pandey's testimony on the position of the body...

...are in accordance with each other.

That's ok. That's fine. But what about the appearance of the deceased?

Survi Parekh had said to the police, in her testimony that Hema was lying on her chest.

Her upper body was exposed...

Her skirt was pulled up. So you could see a naked upper and lower body.

Now we will see what the post-mortem report says.

The post-mortem report says...

External appearance: Wearing apparel - 1 dark coloured half sleeve t-shirt,

with evidence of recent tear around the neck...

...and a brasier.

I'm confused, Your Honour.

My dear learned friend is confused.

He is wildly combing through his papers.

The post-mortem report contradicts Survi Parekh's report.

Which proves that she wasn't raped. Thank you so much. You may go.

All the witnesses are saying that her body was exposed to some extent.

My dear learned friend...

...the body could not have been exposed.

Try and understand. If the daughter's body was so erroneously exposed, no mother...

...would carry her downstairs in that state.

Which proves that she had her clothes on.

It's very strange, Your Honour.

Satish Pandey's testimony did not correspond with that of Survi Parekh.

Dhanyaram's testimony does not correspond with that of Survi Parekh.

Whereas everyone was present at the same point of occurence.

So how can we accept circumstantial evidence?

Your Honour...

...the law works on the basis of police reports.

Not on the basis of stories.

If that is the case, my dear learned friend,

then why does the inquest report only talk about the upper half of Hema Parekh's body?

Because I believe that the police never even took the white cloth off her corpse.

We know that documented evidence does speak volumes.

If Dhananjoy was not guilty then why would he have fled for so long?

And how would the police have recovered the stolen Rico watch and the shirt from his house?

Objection, Your Honour.

Sustained.

Thank you.

Dhananjoy had explained things in detail, in his statement to the police.

He had explained every detail of the murder aswell as his exit plan.

He had also kept the shirt that he was wearing on the day of the murder very carefully.

He had kept it for 3 months. So that the police may find it.

And the police did recover these things, from a shelf in Dhananjoy's house.

This is also mentioned in the testimony.

But there is a problem.

Dhananjoy's brother, Prakash has informed us, and we have also inspected for ourselves...

...that there are no shelves in Dhananjoy's house.

I have nothing to say to this, Your Honour.

Don't give up now.

With the permission of the Court, we would like to call to the witness box,

the OC of the Chatna police station, at the time; Prabahat Chatterjee.

So, Prabhat Babu...

...where did you arrest Dhananjoy Chatterjee from?

From his uncle's house.

No, no. Where exactly in his uncle's house?

From the hay... - The hay?

I mean the thatched roof.

Yes... - He was lying under the thatched roof in the verandah.

Ok, so let me repeat it.

The thatched roof in the verandah. - Yes.

You found him lying down? - Yes, he was lying down.

Thank you so much. You may go.

Your Honour,

apart from Prabhat Chatterjee, there were two very important witnesses...

...who were a part of the team that arrested Dhananjoy.

The first is Mr.Debashish Deb Sharma.

Let's go! You need to sign the seizure list.

I would like to cross-examine him with your permission, Your Honour?

Proceed.

How are you doing? - I'm fine.

Please do tell the court...

...as a member of the team that arrested Dhananjoy...

Yes.

...where was Dhananjoy arrested from?

He was hiding behind the haystack.

Thank you. You may go.

...2 people from the same team are giving contradictory testimonies.

Prabhat Chatterjee says that Dhananjoy was lying under the thatched roof in the verandah.

And Debashish Babu says that he was hiding behind a haystack.

This proves...

...that the 2 teams weren't in sync.

There was a certain miscommunication sowehere.

Because Prabhat Chatterjee in his testimony at the time,

mentioned that he was speaking on the basis of his memory.

Becasue after Dhananjoy was arrested...

...there was no communication between Lalbazar and Chatna police station.

Chatna police station had the memories and Lalbazar had the documents.

Objection, your Honour!

What is he raising a finger at? - Umpire's raise finger's, sir.

When there is an appeal against the batsman,

umpire's analyse the situation and raise a finger if he's out.

Even the batsman in a cricket match is given the benefit of doubt, Your Honour.

And in a case like this, involving a suspect like this,

where there are so many contradictions...

...the accused was never given the benefit of the doubt. Why?

Who was being protected?

He was being framed for someone else's crime.

What about the watch, button and chain?

They had been recovered from the accused.

These are pieces of evidence.

Let's say that I am the accused.

In my absence some things were taken from my house and since I am accused,

all of these things must belong to me.

And- - Your Honour...

...we are wasting time.

We are not wasting time, my friend.

It's just that I have my doubts.

So, Dhananjoy Chatterjee kept the watch that he had stolen for 3 months after the crime?

He went to Rourkela from Kolkata and then moved to Bankura. Why did he keep it?

Was he waiting for the police to come and arrest him?

Strange.

And in his grief Nishant Parekh became a detective.

Many people had come to that flat between 6-9:15PM

But no one spotted that button and chain.

They didn't even call the police. That's very strange.

So much happened in that time.

Nimai Babu...

...Hemang informed you that the chain belonged to Hari?

Yes.

Had you interrogated Hari?

Yes. He said...

...that he had given the chain to Dhananjoy.

When? - Hmm?

I don't remember the date. - He couldn't say.

Where had he bought the chain from?

He couldn't say that either.

Had anyone seen Hari giving the chain to Dhananjoy?

No.

So, how could you be sure that Hari had given the chain to Dhananjoy?

No, actually...we were on the hunt for Dhananjoy then.

Exactly, Your Honour.

On the 5th of March because Hari had said that he had given the chain to Dhananjoy...

...everyone believed it.

But if Hari had said any name other than Dhananjoy, like...

...Rakesh or Paachu. Would you have believed that too?

Or would you have investigated the matter?

No, that's not it.

Everyone in the family... - Exactly!

Everyone in the family.

From 6-9:30PM they tried to figure out who they could blame...

...and they selected Dhananjoy Chatterjee. Am I right?

Objection, My Lord!

We have no proof to suggest that the Parekh family framed Dhananjoy.

Sustained.

You can't say things like that.

You were the chief investigating officer on the case. Am I right?

Until the case was handed over to the Detective Department.

Yes.

You claim to have written the testimonies of the main witnesses that night, in your own hand.

Yes.

But 2 police officers have said that when they were on their way to Hema's house...

...they saw you standing below Sunananda Apartments.

You had apparently shown them the way to Hema's flat.

In your testimony you stated that you had not taken the testimony of anyone on the ground floor.

Your signature is on the witness and seizure list. Are you not aware of these signatures?

My goodness! Why would the Parekh family want to frame Dhananjoy?

That's what I am not understanding.

When a mother opens a door and sees her daughter's corpse lying on the floor...

...she is likely to have a heart attack.

But Mrs.Parekh left her daughter on the floor and ran about the flat looking for Dhananjoy. Dhanan-

Ms.Sinha. You cannot accuse a person who has been so overcome by grief.

Mr.Kar...

...look there. Another person overcome by grief.

A woman whose husband was sentenced to death in front of her eyes.

My consience made it difficult for me to look her in the eye.

A lot of evidence that never existed has been arranged to convict someone.

The button, the clothes,

and that Rico watch.

Thank you.

So, Dhananjoy Chatterjee wrapped the clothes he had worn at the time of the murder in a newspaper,

and left it at his home so that the police could come and find it.

Good.

Now let's come to the button.

On the 6th of March, 1990...

...all evidence was sent to forensics.

But the button reached forensics on 28th May, 1990

Again, that delay.

Why so late ?

Are we sure that on the 12th of May, 1990, when the police arrested Dhananjoy and seized his clothes...

...they did not tear the button and send it to forensics?

Your Honour, I strongly protest against this statement!

The essence of time does protest aswell.

Your Honour, Debashish Deb Sharma and Nandan Babu signed on the seizure list in Dhananjoy's house.

I would like to call Debashish Deb Sharma to the witness box.

Proceed.

We have a tea-shop opposite Chatna police station.

The cops drink tea from there.

On the 13th of May, 1990, I was on my way to deliver some tea...

... when I saw Dhana sitting there.

Here you go.

So, the cycle was stolen from behind your house?

Yes, sir.

Dhana? What are you doing here?

What did you do? Who beat you up?

Hey there! - Yes?

Do you know him?

Yes, sir. That's Dhana.

We studied in the same school.

Come inside. Come along!

Then the police made me sign on a blank sheet of paper.

Your Honour, this is the seizure list.

Which means that Debashish Babu wasn't at Dhananjoy's uncle's house at the time of arrest.

Now we know why Debashish Babu's testimony doesn't match...

...that of the officer from Chatna police station.

This is why their accounts of the exact location...

...of Dhananjoy's arrest contradicted one another.

Another interesting fact...

Debashish Babu was kept like a king for 3 days in the house of Sunil Basu Mullick.

He was fed a feast everyday, he watched movies and...

...stayed in an air-conditioned room. Isn't that so, Debashish Babu?

Yes, My Lord. They had taken me from my home and kept me in Sunil Babu's house for 3 days.

Then I gave my testimony.

Everything has been taken care of. Don't worry about a thing.

Hmm. - Hmm.

Get in.

This is completely made up.

Then why did 2 witnesses testify that they had seen the seizure list before signing it.

Your Lordship, in order to ascertain whether this story is fictional...

...I would like to call upon the OC of Chatna police station, at the time, Mr.Prabhat Chatterjee.

Had you made the seizure list at the time of Dhananjoy's arrest?

No. - You didn't?

An officer had made the list. I had merely signed on it.

So you would have signed it even if the button was an ink pen?

I am surprised, Your Honour.

Not one person from Kolkata to Bankura knows...

...what is in which list!

Everyone just keeps signing things!

And last but not least the elusive item that Dhananjoy had stolen...

A watch was stolen from our almirah.

A ladies watch, from Rico.

Oh. - Dhananjoy has stolen it.

This is our written complaint.

Yes...

...that's what I was thinking.

Why would he go through the almirah and not steal anything?

Exactly, Your Lordship.

How could he have gone through the almirah and not stolen anything?

The whole incident would have seemed fake.

And that's why the Rico watch story was made up.

The watch was bought by the Parekh family from a store in Rajabazar on the 21st of February.

They had submitted a guarantee card but no cash memo.

So what? That watch was recovered.

It was recovered Your Honour.

But how did Mrs.Parekh know that it was indeed her wrist watch?

Did she match the serial number? No she didn't.

If she had, then the 2 watches may have been proved to be completely different.

Actually this was staged in order to lend credibilty to the almirah ruffling claim.

If we are to make up stories then the prosecution can also have a lot to say.

No, they can't say a thing.

The prosecution can't write any new stories.

I'm sorry to say. All your stories have been published in the last edition.

The Parekh family understood that if the serial number came up...

...it would give birth to a number of questions.

And when they understood it, they tried to get the watch back into their custody.

But they couldn't.

It's very fishy, Your Honour.

Mr.Chowdhury, after all this, I still see no reason for Dhananjoy to have stayed in hiding.

Kavya...

Fear, Your Honour.

Fear that had been instilled in to Dhananjoy.

I would like to call the investigating officer at the time,

Sunil Basu Mullick to the witness box.

In his testimony, Debashish Babu has said...

...that at the time of the trial, he lived like a king in your house. Is that right?

I don't know.

When did you start searching for Dhananjoy?

Also, where did you look?

Your Honour, we started searching for him in various places all around Kolkata.

We found some letters at Binapani School aswell.

That made us suspiscious...

...and so we left for Bankura.

Durgapur? - Hmm?

Oh yes. We went to Durgapur aswell.

How did you find out about Durgapur?

Your Honour, it's been so long- -You don't remember?

You don't remember. - Ya...

Exactly! So should I remind you? - Hmm?

You found a few of Dhananjoy's letters at Binapani school...

...on the basis of which you set out for Durgapur. Correct?

Yes.

Right. So...

Whose letters were they?

Probably Dhananjoy's elder brother's.

But you didn't go to Dhananjoy's brother's house in Durgapur.

You just went there and came back.

Because you didn't have Dhananjoy's brother's address.

Am I right?

And if they had no address, it is safe to assume that there were no letters.

We got news from another source.

Exactly! I want to know what was the source?

Parekh family? - Objection My Lord!

Ms. Sinha, what are you implying?

It's my own conjecture.

I don't know whether I shall ever be able to prove it.

Thank you.

You will find the name Mujammal Haq in the witness list.

Mujammal Haq is the person who had given Dhananjoy his transfer order.

If we go by what Dhananjoy's younger brother Prakash has said...

...then Shibu and Mujammal forced Dhananjoy to get into a car and leave Kolkata,

although Dhananjoy wanted to go to the scene of the crime...

...when he found out about Hema's death.

Objection, My Lord!

If we start believing such absurd theories then there can be no end to it.

We should then reopen all cases and free every criminal.

Your Lordship...

...my learned friend said that with such ease, didn't he?

There is a world outside this courtroom.

Where the two of us are just men.

A man has died.

So how can the Honourable Court not investigate the matter?

Mujammal Haq must be produced at court tomorrow.

Court is adjourned till tomorrow.

Haq Babu, did you meet Dhananjoy that night?

No.

Had you and Shibu told Dhananjoy to run?

No.

Did you hand over Dhananjoy's transfer letter to him?

No.

No?

Yes, Sir. I had given Dhana the transfer letter.

Hmm. So that was just a slip of tongue...

Who sent the car? Hema Parekh's family?

Ms.Sinha...

...you can't make such claims based merely on conjecture.

Your Honour, on the basis of the judgement of 3 courts, the decision was taken.

But none of the evidence is conclusive.

Even the results of the serological tests are inconclusive. You can take a look.

The size of the chain found at the scene of the crime was varied too.

One lab said it was 22 inches and the other said it was 18 inches.

The blood soaked newspaper that was sent to the forensic lab...

...had become a sponge by the time it reached the lab.

Sniffer dogs were given a blood - soaked handkerchief to work with.

That same handkerchief was later found soaked with water.

The serological report stated: 'No comments.'

In the case of rape we normally find male pubic hair on the body of the female.

In this case Dhananjoy's pubic hair samples were taken but...

...the report mentioned that they had 'No further comments' on the matter.

Your Lordship,

this is undoubtedly a rarest of rare case.

We may not be able to prove a thing.

But we want to know, our consience wants to know...

...what had really happened?

Go on, Mr.Chowdhury.

Hema Parekh had returned from school, after her exam on the 5th of March, 1990.

Now, we have conceived a theory about that day...

...which might simply be a conjecture or it may even be the truth.

And in this case, Dhanyaram is our most important witness.

Because he was the one, who most definitively said...

...that Hema Parekh had not retuned at 1PM

But had infact returned at 2PM

Why so late? - Traffic jam.

How was your exam? - Good.

What is this?

What is what?

That's what I want to know! Tell me?

What is this?

Where were you?

I was stuck in a traffic jam.

Don't lie to me!

Tell me where you were?

What shameful things have you been up to?

Where were you?

Tell me!

I had gone to a friend's place.

Friend! Which friend?

Where had you gone?

Did you ever think about us?

Did you ?...

You brainless skank!

Did you ever think what would happen to us?

Did you never think about your family?

Why didn't you die?

Why didn't you die?

Die!

Why didn't you die?

Why didn't you die?

Hema?

Hema?...

Hema!

Hello, listen...

It's a case of honour killing, My Lord.

We have heard of many such cases all over India.

But in a progressive place like Kolkata, this was very new.

But not impossible.

After killing Hema Parekh, Mrs. Survi Parekh shut the front door and left.

But where did she go?

I feel that she had gone to discuss the matter with someone she knew.

Someone has to be framed.

Your Honour...

...once Survi Parekh had returned home after getting the advice, she realised...

...that she had forgotten to take her keys.

So she panicked.

She started banging on the door, and a crowd began to gather.

And once she entered the house she began blaming Dhananjoy for the murder.

Your Lordship, I'm sure we can all understand what proceeded this event.

A car was organised to take Hema Parekh to the hospital.

But that wasn't possible because of the crowd present at the scene.

But the car had come. So what was done with it?

Mujammal Haq and Shibu were contacted. But why?

So that Dhananjoy could not arrive at the place of occurence.

Because if Dhananjoy had come, then all their calculations would have gone haywire.

Kavya Sinha had mentioned the Greek tragedies in her argument.

I do agree with her. Greek Tragedy. Destiny.

Your Lordship, destiny plays a very important role.

That car was like the hand of fate that took Dhananjoy away.

And he travelled through the darkness while holding on to the hand of fate.

And then the papers began.

Merely on the basis of Survi Parekh's testimony, we all believed that...

... the security guard, Dhananjoy Chatterjee was a rapist and a murderer.

The antipathy that began to form in the hearts of the public,

was fuelled by a barrage of spicy news stories.

Describing Hema as 'Strangled with broken limbs.'

There was pressure from the society aswell as vote banks.

They demanded that the rapist must be hanged immediately!

But I do not think that she was ever raped.

Hema Parekh had had sex with her lover.

Because the samples sent to the forensics could never prove...

...that Dhananjoy Chatterjee was guilty.

But he wasn't given the benefit of the doubt.

Why didn't we calculate the time of death on the basis of the undigested food?

Because we folded under the pressure of the vote bank like little children.

We forgot that there is a difference between a suspect and a convict.

Then he was sentenced to death.

The hangman's depiction of the event was released.

There were details like how he had spread fat over the noose.

And I can describe it as nothing less than disgusting...

...because at that time Dhananjoy's mother must also have been reading that paper.

Is this Renaissance Bengal?

Are we the descendants of Rabindranath and Raja Ram Mohan Roy?

We are tearing apart a poor man who has come to trial.

This case may have had many alternate possibilities.

It might have been a case of honour killing.

Hema? Hema? Hema!

Why didn't we delve deeper?

If after severe scrutiny Dhananjoy was proved guilty then he should have been punished.

But it wasn't scrutinised because of the pressure applied by the society.

It was made public that, Dhananjoy had raped Hema Parekh after murdering her.

This was said to have come out in the post-mortem report but...

...there is no mention of this in the post-mortem report.

The court will decide whether Dhananjoy was guilty or not.

But I'm afraid.

I'm scared, Your Honour.

Because a crowd, armoured with the support of public opinion,

could stone a man to death in the middle of the road.

And the media would cover that news.

And we would...

...sit at home and watch it while chewing on pop-corn.

Destiny, Your Honour.

The lady sitting there was newly married at the time.

She was poor. But she had hope.

She had some slight happiness.

She had faith that Dhananjoy would return because he had said "Chandra...

...nothing will happen to me.

Because I haven't done anything wrong."

But she didn't know...

...that the truth needs to be proved.

She didn't know that you needed the backing of society.

The support of the public, political back up, media back up...

...and this was an absolute case of trial by media, Your Honour!

You have done reall-

Search the ashes and see if there was a crime committed.

Maybe Dhananjoy was trying to say this for so many years.

But now the decision is yours.

You will decide the truth.

Complete Subtitles Exclusively Arranged by:- Samaksh ~ Varsha ~ Pankaj Jain