by Ravi Dabral
I was shocked to hear all this from the editor. It suddenly struck me that he was already quite drunk, so maybe he did not realise what he was saying, but somewhere from deep within I remembered something that the editor had said just a few minutes back that when a person is drunk, he reveals secret information. As an investigative journalist, my first instinct was to record all that he was saying. Then immediately I thought that it would be unethical as I was working in the same media house and he was my immediate boss. I tried to look for Sanjay and saw him in a corner, but as usual, he was also drunk and was flirting with a model.
My boss further disabused me of my notions. He said, “Do you think that we are the topmost media company having number one TRP ranking, because of talented investigative journalists like you?” He laughed loudly, and a few of the people started looking in our direction, so he lowered his voice as he continued, “Suraj if you think so, you are a fool.”
Laughingly he said, “Suraj, you have a very narrow vision. You look at life from the lowest step to the top one whereas to get a complete overview one must look at anything from top to bottom. If you want to survive in the world of journalism open your vision and take an aerial view of the entire situation. Pardon me for my harsh words, but either you are stupid or not a true journalist. It is like two faces of a person, one that the world perceives and the other that is hidden. The hidden one is the dark side of business, mafia and politics, a parallel economy and the bitter truth is that we survive because of this parallel dark economy otherwise on merit basis who deserves only survive.”
He further cautioned me, “My friend, the world of modern-day media is an illusionary one, it has nothing to do with true journalism. It is a means of making money like any other business. I am sorry for bringing this hard and bitter reality to your knowledge, but it is better to be aware of the bitter truth. So enough education for today and I hope now you will not insist on my broadcasting your useless sting operation CDs.”
I was shocked to hear all these revelations, though I had heard similar whispers in the corridors of the news channel but had never given any serious thought to them. What had seemed to be rumours were now suddenly converted into reality.
I was wondering if journalism had been restricted to accidents, corruption at lower levels, fights in colonies, dowry deaths, road rage incidents, eve-teasing cases, honour killings in rural areas, mob lynching incidents, religion and caste-based violence, useless and illogical debates on TV channels. Is the media only for public entertainment to increase the TRP to generate more revenue without any concrete and conclusive solutions? Who will expose the crimes being committed at the topmost level by white- collar criminals affecting the lives of millions of innocent people?
To me, media had always been the fourth pillar of democracy and the saviour of the constitution along with judiciary - questioning the establishment, the ruling party running the government. This fourth pillar was crumbling right in front of my eyes.
My interaction with other people present at the party was curtailed due to my boss’s monologue, but suddenly the whole atmosphere had lost its appeal for me.
It was already 2:00 a.m., and the party was still in full swing; I decided to go home. On my way home my mind was preoccupied with the degradation of media and journalism. Even after reaching home I was unable to go to sleep wondering if the journalism profession that I had chosen went with my principles.
Next morning after the revelations of the previous night I was not in a fit state of mind to interact with my boss, so I took leave. I called Guruji and told him what transpired yesterday night. He advised me to visit the ashram to discuss this issue in detail. Next, I rang up Sanjay to come over to my place as I wanted to discuss with him what steps should be taken by us for telecasting the sting operations we had conducted. We had invested a lot of time and energy in supplementing it with research, facts, and evidence.
Sanjay came to my home at around 3:00 p.m. After hearing me, he looked worried, as he said, “Suraj, why don’t you understand the editor’s perspective? If we show these sting operation CDs to viewers, then our news channel can be shut down by ruling party politicians and businessmen, and hundreds of employees in our company can lose their jobs.”
I asked him, “Is it possible to give all our research and sting operation recordings to a rival media house run by opposition political party?”
Sanjay felt that even if other news channels aired the sting operations, these influential people would come to know that we had made these CDs and would become our enemies and could harm our families.
I said to Sanjay, “I do not want any credit for these sting operations. I do not want to let these criminals go scot-free. We have to expose them, otherwise there will be no end to their illegal activities and the public will never be any wiser.”
Sanjay said, “It will reduce the risk factor but not completely end it as we can trust no one. There is a possibility that journalists of these rival news channels can enter into a deal with the politicians and can expose the source persons of these sting operations.” He further said, “Let me think over your suggestion, we should not take any decision in haste.”
I said to Sanjay, “I trust you a lot, but if anything wrong happens to me because of the telecast of these sting operation CDs, please take care of my family. Please help them get my insurance claim so that they can live life without any financial difficulty.”
I became very emotional reading these last words of Suraj, especially about the insurance claim as I had used that money to get the job of a police inspector. Tears started trickling down my cheeks thinking about how my brother had helped me in my career even after his death. Not only this, a flashback of the events that took place around the time of Suraj’s death flashed before my eyes.
12
Unfortunate Event of Our Life
T he entire family was waiting for Suraj. It was Ujjawal’s birthday. It was already 9:00 p.m. and neither was there any message from Suraj nor was he picking up his mobile. Only a recorded message could be heard, “The mobile number you are trying to reach is out of coverage area.”
When I informed the family about the message, my father said, “Maybe he is near the forest area where the signals are weak. Try after half an hour.”
When there was no response at 9:30 p.m., I tried calling Sanjay.
Sanjay said, “Suraj left office at around 5:00 p.m. saying he had to reach home early to attend Ujjawal’s birthday.”
Now everyone panicked. I called other friends and colleagues, but the only response I got was that either they did not know, or that the last time Suraj was seen in his cabin was around 5:00 p.m.
It was a long night for the whole family. Though the cake was cut for the sake of guests, none of the family members could participate in the celebrations wholeheartedly. I went to the police station to lodge an FIR but was informed that “it can be lodged only after twenty-four hours have elapsed. Still, we will check all the hospitals to find out if any accident has been reported.” Hearing the words hospital and accident was shocking for me. I started praying to God for Suraj’s well-being.
I returned home after a round of all the places he could have gone to. The whole night we were not able to sleep.
In the morning, to divert the minds of the family members, I switched on the TV, and one of the news channels was broadcasting flash news “Journalist Suraj found dead near the highway in a road accident. Body burnt beyond recognition.” My mother, father, and Priya started crying after watching this sudden and horrifying news. As we were trying to come to terms with the news, I got a call from the police station about the accident and a request to come and identify the body.
I went to the police station with a heavy heart, but the body was burnt beyond recognition. It was only Suraj’s belongings like a half burnt purse and his identity card along with the fact that the body had been found in his car, which assured me that it was Suraj.
After some formalities, Suraj’s
body was handed over to me. When I reached home, my mother and sister-in-law fainted at the sight of the dead body. My father also collapsed. The burden of losing the only earning member of the family was too much to think about. The same day in the afternoon before we took the body for cremation, many of Suraj’s friends and office colleagues came to express their condolences. Sanjay being his close friend was in the forefront and like an elder brother consoled the family and helped in the preparations.
Soon afterward I had to forget this tragedy and concentrate on my competitive exams. Sanjay, with the help of an agent was helping us claim the 50 lakh rupees from the life insurance company. Due to lack of regular income, sustenance of the family in the city was practically impossible, so I convinced them to shift to our ancestral home in the village. At least with the land there to cultivate, their basic needs could be fulfilled.
Reading Suraj’s diaries had aroused my curiosity. There were some unanswered questions such as “What was the outcome of the discussions Suraj had with his boss about the sting operation CDs? Who were the people involved? Were the sting operations finally telecast on any news channel? That day Sanjay promised a solution, what happened to that solution?” The answers to all these questions could come from only one person, and that was Sanjay who had been like an elder brother to me after Suraj’s death. I had also started doubting the genuineness of Suraj’s accident. It seemed to me that maybe it was not an unfortunate accident but a planned one.
Next morning, I rang up Sanjay and told him about the diaries and also the misgivings I had in my mind. He replied that this could not be discussed over the phone and that I should meet him at his residence.
When I reached Sanjay’s home, after the initial greetings, Sanjay asked me, “You were mentioning about Suraj’s diaries. What is written in those diaries?”
I replied, “Suraj has mentioned the sting operations that both of you conducted. He has also written about his meeting with you, where you had told him about getting back to him with a solution.”
Sanjay said, “That day Suraj was very tense as the editor Mr. Mishra had refused to telecast our sting operations. Suraj felt that he was delaying the issue as the sting operations were against some very prominent people.”
I enquired of Sanjay, “What was your suggestion to his thoughts?”
Sanjay said, “The next day, when we met, I asked him to wait for some time, and when the opportune time came, we could try convincing the editor again. But Suraj was opposed to this view because he felt that as the editor knows and has copies of our sting operation CDs, he can join these people, and the evidence can be destroyed. Suraj told me, ‘It is better that we go at the earliest to the other news channel run by the opposition party and get them exposed.’ That was our final discussion before Suraj left for home to attend Ujjawal’s birthday. After that, the next thing I heard was only the news of his unfortunate car accident”.
I asked about the original CDs, and Sanjay said he was unaware of their whereabouts.
13
Secrets Are Behind Clouds
I phoned Seema and said, “Seema, I want to meet you to discuss something important.”
She flatly refused. She said, “Sorry Vijay, after your lust attack the other day, I am not in a mood to continue our relationship. Our perspectives towards love are different. You are looking for a body mate, and I am in search of a soul mate who can understand and respect my sentiments, feelings and emotions.”
I somehow pacified her and said, “This is not related to our relationship. Right now, I am approaching you as a journalist and a friend of long standing. Listen carefully; this is something to do with Suraj.”
Seema asked me, “What is bothering you?”
I told her that while shifting I had come across some old diaries of Suraj. Reading them, I had discovered a few startling facts but was not able to make head or tail of them. Being a journalist, she was better placed to analyse them and come to a conclusion. She agreed to meet me but flatly refused to meet me at my apartment. Finally, we agreed to meet the next morning at 10:00 a.m. at Doon Café.
This meeting with Seema was again awkward for both of us. Things were still not normal between us. There was no form of intimacy or friendliness. I asked, “How are you?” To which she just nodded to signify she was okay.
Without wasting any time, I took out all the diaries and showed them to Seema. After glancing at them, she was sufficiently interested and asked if she could take the diaries with her to read them in detail as it was impossible to come to any conclusion without knowing the full contents. I readily agreed and informed her that the only other person who was aware of the existence of the diaries was Sanjay.
After three days I got a call from Seema wherein she inquired, “Vijay, there is a mention of some sting operation CDs in the diaries. Have you asked Sanjay about these CDs?”
I told her I had already done so, but he had expressed his ignorance about the presence of any such CDs.
Seema then said, “An important person mentioned in the diaries, with whom Suraj was in contact during his last few days, when he was extremely tense, is Guruji. He was not only in regular contact but also used to visit him at least once a month for the upliftment of his yoga and meditation ability. Let us contact Guruji. He might have an insight into Suraj’s problems.”
I finally voiced the thoughts that had been haunting me ever since going through the diaries, “Seema, do you see the possibility of murder instead of an accident?”
Seema refused to rule out the possibility but did not commit herself to any conclusion. She felt that it was best that we try to contact Guruji.
Next day we both tried to get in touch with Guruji, but even after a couple of calls, we were unable to talk to him as he seemed to be busy in some activity or the other related to the ashram. Finally, we decided to visit Guruji’s ashram in Rishikesh.
During our wait for an audience with Guruji, we took a round of the ashram, which was a vast complex with all basic amenities provided within it. The entire ten acres of land was well maintained with lush green lawns and plenty of greenery. The overall atmosphere was very peaceful and thought-provoking. One could forget all the day-to-day problems in this environment.
The scenic beauty of the place was a relief to the sore eyes of a person living in a city. The mountains of the Himalayan range that formed the background, with the river Ganga flowing right through the side of the ashram gave a sense of nature surrounding us. Fresh, clean air devoid of any smog seemed like heaven. People from multiple nationalities could be seen. Some of them were practising yoga under huge shady trees, others were engrossed in meditation. Looking at the atmosphere there, for a moment, even I had the urge to forget everything and become a permanent part of the ashram. Now I could understand the attraction it held for Suraj to be away from his problems and arguments of the family, highlighting values and virtues, may be learnt at the ashram during his visits.
Finally, we met Guruji at around 11:30 a.m. Dressed in white, he seemed captivating even at the age of around seventy. He seemed to be in prime health, white hair adorning his crown. His physique justified his practice of yoga and meditation on a regular basis. He seemed to have a peaceful aura around him which calmed our agitated minds instantly.
I introduced myself as the younger brother of Suraj and Seema as a colleague of Suraj from FNC.
I then asked Guruji, “Are you aware why Suraj was tense during his last few days as mentioned by him in his diaries? Did he share anything with you?”
Guruji acknowledged that he knew Suraj well and that a couple of days before his accident, Suraj had contacted him to say that he had incriminating evidence of a nexus between top politicians, senior police officers, businessmen, and the media. I requested him to come to the ashram to discuss this issue in detail. But before this could materialise, he met with the accident. Guruji did not rule out the possibility of there being some foul play in Suraj’s untimely death.
I asked Gur
uji for guidance, as to what we could do to find further answers. Guruji smiled at us and said, “You are a police inspector, and Seema is a journalist. Remember, secrets are always there, but are behind clouds; you need to develop the investigative ability and skills to see through. If both of you join forces and delve into this matter, then you will definitely come up with some evidence.”
He also told us, “There will be challenges in your path, but that is what gold faces before becoming an ornament. Hard work and dedication are the traditional ways to reach the truth, but nowadays smart ways and the latest technology are added advantages to make a difference in your investigation.”
After meeting Guruji and listening to his advice, Seema and I returned to Dehradun. We knew that this was a test of knowledge and skills for both of us. Also, we had to be very careful as the nexus was very powerful. I admired Guruji’s suggestion to use smart ways and the latest technology to collect evidence. I spoke to Arun, my Information Technology (IT) and Telecom expert friend, to take his guidance. Arun felt that the key to the mystery lay with the editor of FNC who had also got a set of the sting operation CDs. He advised getting the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) and sim card details of the editor’s mobile so that it could be cloned to make a duplicate sim card to use in a parallel mobile. This way we would be able to keep a tab on the editor’s conversation and messages.
Seema seemed to approve of the plan and promised to be on the lookout. She promised to contact me once she had the IMEI and sim card details.
I thought that this was an opportune moment to apologise for my behaviour the other day and said, “Seema, I truly love you, and only the materialistic approach of today’s world clouded my vision and made me behave like an animal that day. I am ready to accept any punishment you will give me, but I don’t want to lose you.”