‘You are right, but where’s the real item?’
‘It’s in Behramji’s study. That middle-school drop-out Netaji has a furnished study. There among many shelves is one specific bookshelf which moves to one side when a secret push-button switch is operated, and the safe hidden behind it is revealed. Badri, forget opening it, it’s a real ordeal just to locate it. That’s why we can’t undermine the significance of Fazal Haq’s information and assistance.’
‘What’s the type of the safe?’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘Is it electronic, dial-operated or key-operated?’
‘Oh, that! Thankfully I know the answer. I remembered asking the cook about this or otherwise you would have reprimanded me that I did not collect all the necessary information about the safe.’
‘I am waiting for your answer.’
‘It’s operated by keys.’
‘How many keys?’
‘Well, it’s a triple-lock safe, so there must obviously be three keys.’
‘Not necessarily.’
‘How’s that?’
‘There are two types of triple locks. The first one opens and closes with three different keys, inserted in a one-two-three sequence. The second one has only one key, but it functions as three keys.’
‘How can a single key function as three separate keys?’
‘At first, the key enters till a particular depth inside the keyhole, and opens the first lock when turned. Once that lock is open, the key slides deeper in and opens the second lock and finally, it slides till the last point and opens the third lock. Now tell me, what sort of a triple-lock system is there in that safe? The one with three different keys or the one with a three-in-one key?’
‘That,’ Rajaram muttered, ‘I don’t know.’
‘So overall there is something,’ Jeet Singh said in a sceptical tone, ‘that you don’t know.’
‘How does it matter? You can open any lock, can’t you?’
‘It is easier to do the job if I have the information about the type of lock. A three-lock-safe is easier to open, but opening a
three-in-one key-operated safe may be considerably more difficult.’
‘All the same, you can open it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then there is nothing to worry. However, I will certainly find out beforehand from the cook which type of lock it is—the one with three keys or the one with a three-in-one key.’
‘Good! So this is your new project?’
‘Yes, tell me now if you have any doubts, any queries.’
‘I am coming to that. Now suppose we scale the compound wall and go in, only to find that the dogs are not sleeping as expected, then? Then what will happen? Will the dogs tear us apart?’
‘You are not aware of one specific feature of such trained dogs. Though the hearing of all dogs is better than humans, these dogs have far, far better hearing faculties then the rest of their canine brethren. If they are not out of action due to the sedative, they will comfortably hear the sound of the barbed wires being cut by us, and in that case, they’ll be waiting to charge at us the moment we jump inside the compound.’
‘God!’
‘We have to be alert for any such possibility, so that we can rush back to the road as fast as possible.’
‘Won’t the dogs follow us out? Can’t they jump over the wall?’
‘Possibly they can, but I am sure they would also be trained not to jump out of the premises. One such healthy, young and trained dog would be at least worth one lakh rupees, if it jumps over the wall and runs away, then what good will it be as a watchdog?’
‘The window! What if it is not left open?’
‘Then too we will do the same thing—we’ll drop the project and return because it won’t be possible to go in without help from within the house.’
‘If I can open the vault, can’t I also open the window?’
‘You can do anything. Badri, you are a specialist of a trade and you sure can open anything that’s before you. The lock is before you and you try your expertise to open it. But the window will be locked from inside and you’ll be outside balancing on a tree branch and it will be a big job maintaining the balance. How will you manage that?’
‘Hmm.’
‘And they are modern, double windows. There is a metal mesh screen inside and unbreakable glass outside.’
‘What about the grille?’
‘Thank God, there is no grille.’
‘What if we fail to locate the safe?’
‘Now enough, stop doing that.’
‘What if I fail to open the safe?’
‘Then it would be better that you retire from this line and sell vada-paav on Chowpatty.’
Jeet Singh laughed.
‘I meant to say,’ he then said sincerely, ‘that I will try my best. But there must be some assured return even if I fail.’
‘From where will it come? When the proceeds are zero, what share do you expect to get from a zero?’
‘We’ll rest that point for now. Now tell me, what will I get if we succeed? And think twice before answering, for if my share is smaller than that of that cook Fazal Haq, then …’
‘Then what?’
‘Then it will be the cook who’ll do the rest of the work.’
‘What do you want?’
‘You are the captain. Fix a respectable fee.’
‘Why don’t you do it yourself, for you will start finding faults in it if I fix it.’
‘We’ll go fifty-fifty on what’s left after giving the cook his fee.’
‘But, yaar …’
‘What yaar? We would be total strangers to each other once this project is over. A one-night stand doesn’t make people friends.’
‘You are very harsh.’
‘No, I am very fair, because …’
‘Now shut up for a minute. Let me think.’
Jeet Singh nodded silently.
Rajaram also stayed quiet for some time.
‘Boss,’ Jeet Singh said impatiently, ‘if you have to think this long then also think about the fact that you had no option other than accepting the cook’s original demand—an unreasonable demand at that—for half the share.’
‘Hmm.’
‘And also bear in mind that the total amount would be smaller this time, compared to your previous project, and smaller the amount, smaller the share. You were ready to give me one crore in case I gave up the demand of an advance, while in the present set-up the return may not be even this much. That is, more work but less returns.’
Rajaram raised his eyebrows.
‘Earlier I was not supposed to jump walls, climb trees, face ferocious dogs or the possibility of being shot, no?’
Rajaram stayed silent.
‘You have yourself estimated the amount to be one and three-quarters to two crore rupees, but it could be less than the estimate.’
‘It could be more than the estimate also.’
‘How can it be more, when you estimated your previous project at fifteen?’
‘Previously I had said that the total amount could be somewhere between fifteen to twenty crores. One-eighth of fifteen is less than two.’
‘So, let’s go with fifteen. After deducting the cook’s share, it will be one-and-a-quarter crores. Half of that comes down to sixty-two-and-a-half lakhs, which is only slightly more than the amount you agreed to pay in advance.’
‘Badri,’ Rajaram said in a decisive tone, ‘fix your share at sixty lakhs, and also agree to the condition that you will get only sixty lakhs, no matter how much money is recovered from the safe.’
‘My share would be smaller than that of the cook if the safe has two crore rupees, but still, I agree. Happy now?’
‘Yes,’ Rajaram said, warmly shaking his hand. Then both said cheers with their beer-mugs, which had been lying ignored till that moment.
‘When shall we do it then?’ Jeet Singh asked.
‘No date is fixed yet.’
&
nbsp; ‘Why so?’
‘The cook warned us that there can be guests even at night, or sometimes they come with Behramji and stay there till late. Our Netaji is an alcoholic, a womanizer and a generous host. It is normal for him to drink till midnight if he starts in the company of friends. And his night stretches longer if there is some woman with him. In those circumstances, even the cook is shown the door.’
‘What if he needs something in the middle of the night?’
‘Then the women who stay with him at night take care of it.’
‘Right.’
‘The cook says that it is his personal experience that if there has to be a party-like atmosphere, it gets set by 8 or 8.30 p.m. He says he will inform me the day he finds no such party is going to happen.’
‘So he will call you here in Mumbai?’
‘Where else?’
‘Then we’ll start from here?’
‘We will get the news by 9 or 9.30. It’s a two-hour drive, maybe two-and-a-half hours at night. Still we’ll have enough time. The most suitable time for your work is between one and three. We’ll have enough time at our disposal.’
‘What if some guest arrives after we have got the all-clear signal?’
‘You object to everything, yaar. Behramji is a pompous ass; he doesn’t allow people to drop in just like that.’
‘Granted, but what if somebody still turns up?’
‘Then the cook will inform us, caution us about it, and we will not go. If we are on the way, we’ll return.’
‘So, we have to wait for the cook’s call every day, and remain prepared each day?’
‘Yes, the call may come today itself, or it may take some days.’
‘It would be better if it comes sooner rather than later.’
‘Why?’
‘I am going through some personal problem,’ Jeet Singh said, thinking about the impending threat of arrest. ‘I will leave now,’ he said, getting up, ‘inform me when the call comes.’
Rajaram nodded silently.
Jeet Singh left the cabin.
In the midday newspaper Daily, Jeet Singh found the news he had been expecting in the morning papers.
The bullet-ridden bodies of Anil Ghumre and Jamal Haideri were found floating in the sea, caught against a pillar of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
The bodies were found early in the morning, which was the reason the morning papers could not carry the news.
It was evident that the murders were carried out in this fashion so that the fear of Big Boss Mehboob Firangi persisted in the underworld. The murders were a warning for big gangsters and petty criminals alike that anyone who dared look at Big Boss’s stuff with malicious intent would meet the same fate.
It was four in the evening, and there was a meeting-like environment in Advocate Gunjan Shah’s office. Advocate Shah, Jeet Singh, pd Shekhar Navlani and Pankaj Jhalani were sitting there. Jhalani, as the surname suggested, was not a Sindhi but a Rajasthani. He was a reputed correspondent at Express, and was in his usual attire of thick-framed glasses, kurta, jeans and Kolhapuri chappals.
Navlani was present because he was the one who had brought Jhalani there. Shah felt that since the police was an active participant in the Changulani family’s conspiracy, they needed the media’s support to expose that angle, and to garner wider support in their favour. As a reputed lawyer, Shah also knew a number of journalists, but Navlani had convinced him that Jhalani’s report in Express would make a bigger impact, and hence Jhalani was chosen over others.
Jhalani knew Jeet Singh well, like Navlani, and was also his well-wisher.
By that time, Jhalani had been briefed about Sushmita, her marriage and her current problems.
‘You know Jeet Singh,’ Navlani said to Jhalani, ‘but you probably never heard of Jeet Singh in the context of Sushmita. They were neighbours before she got married, and he was also a well-wisher and friend of her family. Sushmita—as I told you before—is the woman whose story of intimidation and victimization you are here to hear. It would have been better if you had heard her story in detail from herself, but regrettably it’s not possible now.’
‘Why so?’ Jhalani asked.
‘She’s under arrest.’
‘Oh! Since when?’
‘The police arrested her this morning.’
‘Under section 120-b,’ said the lawyer, ‘which is used against the co-accused in murder.’
‘Who is the main accused?’
‘This man,’ Navlani said, ‘Jeet Singh. That is why he is also under the threat of being arrested any time.’
‘What is the whole story?’
‘It would be better if Jeet Singh tells you that, because Sushmita first told him about this whole case. Go ahead, Jeete.’
Jeet Singh started hesitatingly, but soon he got into the rhythm and narrated the whole story as he had heard from Sushmita on Tuesday the nineteenth.
Then Gunjan Shah himself described what happened thereafter.
When he finished, Jhalani was taking turns looking in disbelief at Jeet Singh and Gunjan Shah.
‘So much has happened,’ he said, ‘and the media knew nothing of it! Sir, even you did not take the media into confidence.’
‘I have done that now,’ Shah said, ‘as the crusader of justice Express’s young man is sitting with my client’s well-wisher. Or, in the words of the police, with her accomplice.’
‘That’s true, but still …’
‘What still? It was only the day before yesterday that the case was handed to me. And today instead of inviting the who’s who of the media I called the top gun for the briefing.’
‘I am thankful for that, sir. So is my paper.’
‘Jhalani,’ Navlani said, ‘I have a professional interest in the case because I have been retained as a pd, but I also have a personal interest in it. That’s why I boasted to Mr Shah that you were a close friend of mine and brought you here. Now you must proceed keeping in mind that Sushmita is a victim of a nasty conspiracy, victimized not only by her in-laws, the Changulani family, but also by the police. You have to highlight the excesses committed against her through your paper on a top-priority basis.’
‘And as an advocate, I assure you,’ Shah said, ‘that not a word of this whole narrative is false.’
‘I see.’
‘Imagine the level of insensitivity and excesses committed in this case. A woman is widowed within seven months of her wedding because of the act of a murderer, and in place of sympathizing with her, her late husband’s children throw her out of the house alleging she was not the wife, but the live-in partner of their father, and she had no place in the household after his death. When she approaches the police for justice, she is shouted at, insulted, and threatened that if she doesn’t keep her mouth shut, she will be arrested under the charges of planning and executing her husband’s murder in connivance with her ex-boyfriend Jeet Singh. Yesterday, I met the dcp of the district, and despite a lot of dilly-dallying on his part, succeeded in finally getting her fir lodged, which was regarding the use of force by the children of her husband to throw her out of the household. And within hours, the sho of Colaba police station proved true to his threats by arresting Sushmita this morning, under section 120-b. I ask you, Mr Reporter, what sort of justice is this? First the victim’s fir was not lodged, and finally when it was lodged after a lot of effort, it was not the culprits who were arrested, but the victim who was put behind bars.’
‘Sir,’ Navlani said in a low voice, ‘I have come to know that the family has lodged a counter-fir.’
‘Saying that the wife is responsible for her husband’s murder?’
‘No, it alleges that the live-in partner—I repeat, the live-in partner—was responsible for her companion’s murder.’
‘So, they acted immediately on the family’s fir, while the victim’s fir was ignored.’
‘It was termed fake, malicious and motivated, and hence scrapped.’
‘So, Sushmita is a murderer!’
‘A co-accused.’
‘Not much difference, for in the eyes of law murdering someone or having someone murdered are crimes of equal severity.’
‘You are right, sir.’
‘Anybody can see that that woman is being harassed, targeted and victimized just to make sure that she does not acquire the status of successor of the deceased.’
‘Sir, these issues must be raised in court.’
‘I know that, and I will do exactly that. But I can’t do anything immediately, as my hands are tied by the law. This is a criminal case and everything ought to happen as per procedure. I can’t argue in favour of the victim until she is produced in court. In such matters the police know several ways to delay the matter. They have made the arrest today, but in the daily diary, they will show it to have taken place tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. If I file a writ of habeas corpus tomorrow, then it will go for a hearing on Tuesday, and if the judge acts sternly upon it, the accused would be presented in court the next day. The police will cite the charges of murder, and ask for a prolonged remand. Here the role of Express that I have in mind is that the sad story of the accused is carried with sympathetic headlines tomorrow as a lead story so that the police top brass and the judiciary read it. The police won’t be able to withhold the date of arrest if the paper highlights the fact that she was arrested this morning. Then they’ll be compelled to present her in court on Monday, as per the rules. With these developments in the backdrop, I will insist during my argument that anybody in the family could have been responsible for the murder, if it was an inside job. I have evidence to establish that on the day of the murder, other members of the family—both sons, who say they were in England, and the son-in-law, who says he was in Kolkata—were in fact present in Mumbai. All three of them had the key to the deceased’s flat and hence, access to the murder weapon. Two of them, if not all three of them, had the motive for murder, which was acute financial pressure, and which only the inheritance from the deceased’s property could have rescued them from. Plus, I have a signed statement by Sushmita narrating the deceased’s heated argument with one of them, just a day before the murder, and which gives a strong indication of murder in the offing.’
The Colaba Conspiracy Page 30