Patang Read Free

crime rates in the city had already plummeted. He was known to be a no-nonsense man with a suave exterior and an iron hand. It had been heard in several quarters that the powers that be had given him free rein over the police force. It had also been heardthat never in the past had Mumbai Police had such a ruthless officer running the show.
    ‘Thank you for coming at such short notice,’the DCP began in a crisp and confident tone. ‘I’ve invited you here today because most of you have received an anonymous letter from someone claiming that he will murder four people in various parts of the city. From the contents of the letter, it seems that the man is deranged. Let me show you the letter. Wagle, the lights.’
    There was pin-drop silence in the room as the DCP’s men projected a scanned copy of the letter on a screen. DCP Singh went on, ‘I can understand that not everyone here may be familiar with this letter, even if your publication or channel has received it, because as is the usual norm with such letters, very little credence is attached to them. But this…how shall I put it…this is different.’
    ‘I know about this letter,’ the grumpy old man said, sounding annoyed, ‘but what makes you think it’s not a hoax?’
    ‘Because we found the body,’ said the DCP calmly.
    ‘ What?’
    ‘Yes, renowned builder Sukhdeo Saran was found dead this morning. It seems someone tied his legs to the antenna of a tall cellphone tower and left him hanging upside down for two or three days. All the blood in his body collected in his head causing…well…his face to burst open.’
    Several gasps were heard from various parts of the room. The DCP continued, ‘Now, you must understand that this is not a media announcement. I’m sure you realize and appreciate the sensitivity of the information I’m sharing with you under the assumption of strict confidentiality. Please treat this very seriously. If there’s a deranged serial killer out there, then he is dangerous. And we need to catch him before he strikes again.I have called you today, not to announce the news of the killer and his first victim, but to request you to not report on the letter or the murder. Mumbai Police requests your full cooperation in this matter.’
    A heavy and uncomfortable silence fell over the room as people around the table looked at each other. Finally, a sensible-looking man, presumably in his late-fifties, sitting at the far end of the table, spoke in a calm and composed voice, ‘Mr Singh, we are all responsible journalists, and I think I can speak for all my friends here that your department will receive all the cooperation you seek from us. But I’m curious, as I’m sure my esteemed friends are as well – do you have any idea who this madman could be?’
    DCP Singh briefly looked at some of the other officers in the room and then said, ‘We do know a few things about him. As I told you, from the content of the letter, it seems that he is deranged. However, he is not a fool. The fact that he carried the victim all the way up to the top of the Central Network Tower and made such a shrewd and elaborate arrangement for him to die a slow and painful death tells us that he is exceptionally intelligent. According to the preliminary reports from our profilers, it seems that the perp is a male in the age bracket of 30 to 45, and has a strong build. There were no prints found on the letter. We’re looking through our files to see if we can find a matching modus operandi, or unsolved murders, a matching handwriting, anything. Those investigations are taking place as we speak.’
    ‘What is that thing at the end of the letter?’ asked the same gentleman, leaning forward and squinting. ‘It looks like some sort of a symbol, doesn’t it?’
    ‘Some sort of a…diamond symbol,’ someone remarked.
    ‘Well, yes, it’s shaped like a diamond, and he seems to have used it as a signature. But to tell you the truth, we haven’t been able to fully