happened? Prakash too, turned his face and found a policeman standing behind him with a cunning smirk. His eyes went towards the name badge stuck on his chest. Mohan K. Lohiya. So, this is the gentleman Ashish was praising so much. Nice to meet you, Sir. The sub-inspector looked middle-aged, with a thin moustache and a protruding belly. He was staring at Ashish the way a porn DVD seller stares at a school kid at his counter. The poor guy seemed to have stopped breathing for a moment.
“ Bolo Ashish Bhai! What do you want to know about the Afroz case?” the sub-inspector said, patting Ashish’s back. It sounded more like a slap. “Once in a blue moon our Ambala figures in national news. And look at today. I have given four interviews since morning, you know?”
Ashish heaved a sigh of relief and winked at Prakash. He began with the usual carrot. “ Arey Sahib , our channel has one of the largest TRPs in North India. When we mention your name in our news bulletin, the world will know.”
He introduced Prakash to the sub-inspector, who started speaking straightaway. “Let me summarize the case for you,” he began his oft-repeated speech from previous interviews during the day. “As you must be aware, that this Mujahid gang had taken the responsibility of killing Nitin Tomar.”
Prakash was amused to hear the word “gang”.
“We believe Afroz was the man who shot Nitin dead,” the man said.
The words hit Prakash like a jet of cold water. He believed that Afroz would turn out to be a small cog in the wheel called Mujahid-e-Bashariyat. But according to this man, he was the exceptional sniper who blasted Nitin’s head from a kilometer.
Mohan continued, “Although Afroz had no criminal history, he was actively supporting Islamic extremism. He seems to be a very disturbed individual, evident from the contents of his laptop. Our team gathered many videos of graphic violence and obnoxious speeches by extremist leaders from his laptop. He also used to write blogs supporting Jihad and Islamic law.”
“Just like every other brainwashed terrorist,” Ashish said.
“Yeah. He had also hidden an AK-47 in his bathroom,” Mohan said, nodding in agreement. “But the biggest clue which connects Afroz to Nitin Tomar is an envelope found in his cupboard. It contained a few printouts containing news stories related to the Geetanjali school massacre. There was an A4 size photo of Nitin along with a few close-up photographs of the Allahabad court.”
Prakash tried to speak, but was cut short by Mohan. He raised his voice to put forth his point. “Besides, we also found a bus ticket for Delhi-Allahabad in Afroz’s kitchen dustbin. The date of travel was only two days before Nitin’s murder. There was a return ticket also. Same bus. Only the date was a day after the attack,” he said, and took a deep breath of contentment.
“You got all that from his house?” Prakash asked. “Don’t you think it is just plain stupid of him to keep all that evidence at his home? That too when he was supposedly so much in panic that he was smoking and drinking like a fish.”
“You read all that in the newspapers?” Mohan asked.
“I have my own sources.”
“To hell with your source,” he spat. “What’s your point exactly? Someone planted all that evidence in his home and in his laptop? Are you kidding me?”
“I don’t know.” Prakash shrugged. “I am just wondering whether Afroz is just a side-actor or the main actor. How did you arrive at the conclusion that he is the assassin?”
Mohan looked almost offended. “You are an awful cynic Mr Prakash. We are so near in solving this case and you still look unconvinced. No wonder reporters never write anything good about the police,” he complained. The next moment he had a smirk on his face. “But, I have another piece of evidence to take care of doubters like you.”
“Is it the gun found in the pond?” Ashish interjected.
Mohan nodded in response, his smile
“ Bolo Ashish Bhai! What do you want to know about the Afroz case?” the sub-inspector said, patting Ashish’s back. It sounded more like a slap. “Once in a blue moon our Ambala figures in national news. And look at today. I have given four interviews since morning, you know?”
Ashish heaved a sigh of relief and winked at Prakash. He began with the usual carrot. “ Arey Sahib , our channel has one of the largest TRPs in North India. When we mention your name in our news bulletin, the world will know.”
He introduced Prakash to the sub-inspector, who started speaking straightaway. “Let me summarize the case for you,” he began his oft-repeated speech from previous interviews during the day. “As you must be aware, that this Mujahid gang had taken the responsibility of killing Nitin Tomar.”
Prakash was amused to hear the word “gang”.
“We believe Afroz was the man who shot Nitin dead,” the man said.
The words hit Prakash like a jet of cold water. He believed that Afroz would turn out to be a small cog in the wheel called Mujahid-e-Bashariyat. But according to this man, he was the exceptional sniper who blasted Nitin’s head from a kilometer.
Mohan continued, “Although Afroz had no criminal history, he was actively supporting Islamic extremism. He seems to be a very disturbed individual, evident from the contents of his laptop. Our team gathered many videos of graphic violence and obnoxious speeches by extremist leaders from his laptop. He also used to write blogs supporting Jihad and Islamic law.”
“Just like every other brainwashed terrorist,” Ashish said.
“Yeah. He had also hidden an AK-47 in his bathroom,” Mohan said, nodding in agreement. “But the biggest clue which connects Afroz to Nitin Tomar is an envelope found in his cupboard. It contained a few printouts containing news stories related to the Geetanjali school massacre. There was an A4 size photo of Nitin along with a few close-up photographs of the Allahabad court.”
Prakash tried to speak, but was cut short by Mohan. He raised his voice to put forth his point. “Besides, we also found a bus ticket for Delhi-Allahabad in Afroz’s kitchen dustbin. The date of travel was only two days before Nitin’s murder. There was a return ticket also. Same bus. Only the date was a day after the attack,” he said, and took a deep breath of contentment.
“You got all that from his house?” Prakash asked. “Don’t you think it is just plain stupid of him to keep all that evidence at his home? That too when he was supposedly so much in panic that he was smoking and drinking like a fish.”
“You read all that in the newspapers?” Mohan asked.
“I have my own sources.”
“To hell with your source,” he spat. “What’s your point exactly? Someone planted all that evidence in his home and in his laptop? Are you kidding me?”
“I don’t know.” Prakash shrugged. “I am just wondering whether Afroz is just a side-actor or the main actor. How did you arrive at the conclusion that he is the assassin?”
Mohan looked almost offended. “You are an awful cynic Mr Prakash. We are so near in solving this case and you still look unconvinced. No wonder reporters never write anything good about the police,” he complained. The next moment he had a smirk on his face. “But, I have another piece of evidence to take care of doubters like you.”
“Is it the gun found in the pond?” Ashish interjected.
Mohan nodded in response, his smile
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