[insects chirping loudly]
[water gushing]
[bangles clinking]
[suspenseful music]
[suspenseful music continues]
No two murders...
are ever alike.
And that is why...
every murder investigation needs to be...
handled differently.
And yet...
certain investigative techniques...
will help you crack the case sooner.
That's...
what I feel.
I first stumbled upon this theory while working on the Feroze Daruwala murder case.
But after I caught Krushna Desai's murderers...
I started believing in it.
[flies buzzing]
As for Raman Raghav...
it was this technique again that helped me the most.
This technique is...
quite a simple one.
Just six questions actually.
Find answers to those questions...
and the case will keep building.
Hmm.
Question number one.
[intense music begins]
Who is the victim?
[intense music continues]
Who's that?
Who's that there!
Pralhad?
Is that you, Pralhad?
Oi!
Answer me you idiot!
You know what's happening in the village!
[music builds to a crescendo]
[woman screams] [axe thuds]
Question number two.
What is the actual cause of death?
Could the cause be different...
from what's mentioned in the post mortem report?
We need to mindful of this at all times.
We must find the truth...
behind the truth.
Question number three.
Where was the murder committed?
It might not be, where we find the body.
The body might've been moved after committing the murder.
So it is necessary to ascertain the scene of the crime.
Parvati bai!
Parvati!
Can you hear us?
Parvati!
Parvati bai!
Parvati!
Parvati bai!
[tense music playing]
[music builds to a crescendo]
Question number four.
When was the murder committed?
Without knowing the time of the murder...
you will never be able to say with certainty,
where the suspects were at that time...
and what they were doing.
Another murder! A seventh one, Sir!
It's the seventh one, Sir!
You mean Parvati Barhate?
She's dead!
Let's go, Paranje!
- Where was her body found? - In her relative's field!
Found it early this morning.
Question number five.
What was the motive behind the murder?
It isn't always easy...
to answer this one.
The investigation might point to several motives.
And they might all seem probable.
When you wade through all that clutter...
and find the actual motive behind the murder...
that's when...
you'll be close to the end of your investigation.
And now, the most important...
question number six.
Any guesses?
Who could be the killer?
[soft sniggering]
As an investigating officer...
you have to make an initial guess...
based on all the evidence.
But...
we could also be wrong.
Always bear that in mind.
After all this effort...
finding the criminal...
is still only half the job done.
You also have to prove it in court...
for which you'll need enough evidence.
But if you don't have it...
you'll have to convince one of the accused...
to turn witness.
Excuse me, Sir...
There's a call for you.
Give me a moment.
Please sit!
As I was saying, Sir...
I know about this Manvat case.
Bombay CID in such a small village...
that's a first.
I'm under a lot of pressure.
Seven murders in eighteen months...
and not a single arrest!
Sir!
As you know...
I'm working on two important cases in Mumbai.
Ramakant.
I will make sure that all officers working on those cases...
will be in touch with you.
I've spoken to them.
If there is anyone who can solve this case...
then it's you.
That's what everyone has been telling me.
As you say, Sir!
Make sure you leave tomorrow!
Yes, Sir!
Ramakant!
Best of luck!
Thank you, Sir.
Should we?
Hey, don't!
Anita!
Please sleep!
Come on, sleep now!
Baba, will you be here on your birthday?
Darling! His birthday is still a month away.
I'm sure a few days would be enough for him to crack the case.
Right?
I'll be back. OK?
Off to bed now!
I'm going to count till three.
OK.
One.
Two.
Three.
[train horn blaring]
[indistinct chatter in the background]
Sir!
Why didn't you get a first class ticket?
Why spend unnecessarily?
This is just fine.
And you even get to observe people here.
[ambient train sounds]
Hey, you!
- How much? - 10 paisa.
Give me one.
Sir!
What's your famous sixth sense telling you about this case?
My sixth sense is telling me...
that...
this case is going to be a tough one to crack.
Sir!
But...
what is your first impression of this case?
Four minor girls...
and three women...
have been brutally killed with a sharp hatchet-like weapon.
Hatchet?
I mean an axe.
Injuries have been inflicted on their private parts with a sharp object.
Perhaps...
to draw blood from there.
It all seems very ritualistic to me.
Some kind of occult practice.
And we know nothing about that.
That's exactly why I got this book.
The Witchcraft and Black Magic.
Oh good Lord! To study?
Yes. To study.
[train announcement over PA system]
Sir!
Sir, even the Kachiguda Express arrived on time because of you.
Oi! Keep the bags in.
Sir!
Please don't! Damodar!
Sir!
You remember my name after all these years!
Of course!
Well, Vakatkar, this is Damodar Shukla.
He used to work with me ten years ago...
when I was posted here in Parbhani.
Sir, this is Ponkshe. He's here to receive you.
He led investigations on behalf of the state CID.
Hello, Sir!
Hello!
We spoke on the phone.
Yes.
Hello!
Please come, Sir!
[brakes screeching]
Do you want to die, fucker!
[mysterious music playing]
Kulkarni saheb! I'm sure you'll solve this case.
But be careful.
Do you know him, Sir?
The whole of Parbhani knows him!
The situation is quite tense, Sir.
You won't find a single woman on the street after sunset.
And the people of Manvat don't trust the police anymore.
Sir...
they don't even offer a policeman some water!
When you took over this case...
you'd arrested two suspects, right?
Yes.
Uttamrao Barhate and Rukminibai.
And who are they exactly?
This Uttamrao Barhate used to work at a kirana store.
He studied on the side and eventually landed up in politics.
He gradually made his way up by cozying up to the right people.
And became the Chairman of the Municipal Council.
He has a son from his first wife.
Jayant.
But he doesn't stay with his father.
To earn some money, he took Rukmini's help and started a liquor business.
People from Rukmini's caste live in this settlement.
That's the smell of mutton.
These people eat their mutton raw.
This is where Uttamrao met Rukmini.
She had good features and was quite the looker...
and Uttamrao was always a little weak in the knees.
They hit it off.
Her husband had left her.
But he took her in.
And even paid her father a lot of money.
And brought her to the city.
Let's go!
[sudden gasp of pain]
Ow!
[winces in pain]
[gasps in pain]
[eerie music begins]
[door knock]
What is it!
Umm... the lawyer is here.
Couldn't he have found a better time!
Is this any time to visit people!
Ask him to come back tomorrow!
I called him.
Ask him to sit. We'll be there.
Wipe it.
- Namaskar, Sir! - Namaskar.
I am Senior Inspector Paranje.
Actually, I'm a big-
Sir, this is Yusuf. The caretaker, cook, watchman and pretty much everything.
- Namaste. Namaskar.
Sir!
So, Ponkshe!
Yes.
Those two, I mean Uttamrao and Rukmini, right?
On what basis had we arrested them?
There are strong rumours that there's treasure buried...
under the peepal tree in their mansion.
So?
People started hearing ritualistic sounds from their wada after every murder.
Oh!
But then why were they released?
Because no one testified against them.
The magistrate didn't find our evidence to be strong.
And then...
when the next three murders happened, they were in the lock up.
Ah!
So you had to release them.
Yes.
But we've succeeded in banishing them from Manvat.
Both of them live in Parbhani now.
So they cannot meddle in our investigation.
[rattling sound]
Namaskar!
Was it urgent-
For how long are we supposed to stay like outcasts!
When can we go back to Manvat?
Sit down!
I'm trying my best.
You see...
umm... that is exactly why we are filing a petition.
Nonsense!
Stop giving us false hopes, Dusane saheb!
If we continue to live like this, who will look after our farms!
Rukminibai's sister, Samindribai.
Isn't she taking care of your affairs?
Look...
despite your absence...
hasn't she managed the liquor business well?
Listen, you fucker!
Don't be a wise ass.
I don't trust anyone.
And no one is immune to the allure of money.
Move heaven and earth if you have to but get us out of this mess.
It's not that easy.
An officer from the Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over this case now.
His name is Ramakant Kulkarni.
You're not the only one reading a newspaper.
They say he is a hardened officer.
If you ask me...
let him take charge.
Let him investigate all he wants.
Once he goes back...
you can go back to Manvat.
But why not now!
No one's going to intimidate me!
They're the financial overlords of the village.
People don't have any money...
and yet their liquor shops are thriving.
Hmm.
They've more money than you can imagine.
Right now, they're the only ones who have money.
The entire village has mortgaged houses to take a loan from them.
Who's going to stand up to them?
[coughing]
Careful. Here.
Vakatkar...
if you want to stay here...
you'll have to get used to this food.
Here.
Oh no!
What the...
We'll have to get used to these power cuts too.
Can't trust them one bit.
Thank you, Ambadas.
Thank you, saheb.
I think...
it's quite late.
Get some rest.
Let's meet at the police station...
at 7:30 in the morning.
Sharp.
[vehicle engine starts]
[eerie music playing]
[radio playing]
Yusuf!
- Can you please lock this? - Yes, Sir.
Thank you.
[suspenseful music playing]
Sorry, sorry!
- Am I late? - Not at all, Sir.
So Sonawane...
how are you?
I'm OK, Sir.
Let's go.
[barking sound]
[suspenseful music continues]
Have you guys never tried...
to raid Uttamrao's liquor shops?
His liquor shops are impossible to find, Sir.
And their location keeps changing.
Even when we've tracked them down, all we've found are traces.
And the distribution network?
That is an even bigger mystery.
From one person to another...
then the third and fourth.
Sir...
what is our line of action today?
Let's turn one of the guest house rooms into the incidence room.
OK, Sir.
I'm going to need some things.
Tell me, Sir.
The largest map of Manvat you can get your hands on...
coloured chalks, sticky tape and a big blackboard.
OK, Sir.
[ominous bird trill]
Name?
Datta Sutar.
What happened?
Someone stole my chicken a couple of days ago.
It must have been devoured and digested by now!
There's no point filing this complaint, Dattabhau.
Someone decapitated it and kept it by the door.
Early in the morning.
Oh is it!
[suspenseful music]
Some sort of black magic business!
The fucker is out to get me!
That's why he stole my chicken.
Umm...
I'll drop the black magic part.
I'll keep the theft part, OK?
When was it stolen?
Where are you from?
From Patoda.
Patoda!
- My sister's marital village! - Is it?
Yes!
Hey, stop chitchatting!
He's here!
Start playing!
[shehnai playing]
[shehnai continues]
Welcome, Sir.
Welcome to the Manvat police station.
Please come in, Sir.
Please come, Sir.
Just petty thieves, Sir.
Fresh catch!
Hey, don't look up!
Please, this way, Sir.
Please sit here, Sir.
Right here.
For you, Sir.
What is this for?
Today is a very special day for all of us.
So we've ordered it from the city.
Here.
What's so special about today?
I'd love to know.
I'll tell you, Sir.
We are...
blessed to have a great officer like you...
grace our station..
with your esteemed presence.
We are very fortunate.
This divine moment...
will forever be carved in our hearts...
thanks to your presence.
Sir...
it is our humble request to you...
to ferry our lost ship to safety...
and rescue us...
with your vast experience.
[sound of clapping]
Someone please turn off that squawking shehnai first.
Hey, guy from Patoda!
Stop that squawking! Stop it!
Hey!
Didn't you hear me! Stop it!
Assholes!
"The Manvat police have still not caught the killer of innocent children."
"Why is the police incompetent?"
Have you been reading this?
Do you know what everyone is saying about us?
Do you?
This is extremely humiliating for our department.
Why the hell are you distributing sweets?
To welcome me?
Am I a showman?
We made a mistake.
We're very sorry for that.
Let us all begin the search from tomorrow.
Why tomorrow?
What is so auspicious about tomorrow?
Let's go.
Get all the files along.
Let's go to the place where you found the first body.
Let's go.
Take the files.
[whistling sound]
[tense music playing]
Gaye!
Hurry up!
You carry on!
[tense music continues]
[music builds to a crescendo]
Look at this.
Who among you was the first one to see Gayabai's body?
Me, I saw it.
Krishna Dhangare came to the police station and said the girl's body is here.
My first guess was that it must be Gayabai.
Because Sakharam, her father, had filed a missing person report.
So I brought him here to identify her body.
Whose farm is that?
Shrirang Barhate.
And the one on this side?
Uttamrao Barhate.
So are they related?
Not really.
Barhate is a common name here.
Paranje...
Sir.
According to Gayabai's father...
when she went missing...
and he was looking for her...
he had come to this place.
But he didn't find her body.
Not just him, I had come here myself.
And I didn't see a thing.
That means...
it's like that boy said.
While she was collecting cow dung...
someone kidnapped her...
took her to an unknown place...
and killed her.
So the body was there for two days ...
and was then dumped here.
Umm, I guess so.
I mean that's what I think too.
Why would the killer do that?
But Sir...
that means hiding the body wasn't the motive.
Then what was the motive?
How did no one in the village notice any of this?
Didn't they suspect anything?
What is the population of the village?
This is one of the bigger villages in Parbhani.
But it's not so big that...
an outsider would come here and kill people.
Because an outsider is very easy to spot.
Correct.
That means...
the killer is a local.
He lives among the villagers.
Hurry up!
Sir.
[indistinct chatter in the background]
Why can't I see photos of Gayabai's body?
Here they are, Sir.
Right here.
The body position, the wounds...
and everything that was around, in detail.
That's alright. But I want the photographs.
Sorry, Sir.
There are no photos.
What do you mean?
What I mean is...
no photos were taken.
Why?
We don't have police photographers like you do in Mumbai.
We get our wedding photographers to do this.
Right.
- What about the other photos? - They're all there.
But not these.
The face was slashed multiple times and disfigured.
Right, Sir.
Her father recognised her from her birth mark.
But why was the face disfigured?
Let's go.
What's that?
That?
That's the Pandhrya temple.
Pandhrya?
What deity is that?
It may be a deity...
it may not be a deity.
Care to explain, Paranje?
I mean it looks like a temple.
But no one prays here.
As in?
Why have they built it?
When the Nizam was attacked...
all the villagers fled the village.
Some elders say that...
there were more wealthy people in Manvat than in Parbhani.
And all their money, gold, valuables...
Get to the point, Paranje!
Hm.
They collected all that and buried it.
They then placed a white rock over it.
And built a temple around it.
Hmm.
So the villagers believe...
that there's treasure buried here.
That's right, Sir.
The area around this temple...
is known as the Pandhrya zone.
How many such sites in the village?
About 10 to 12.
10 or 12?
The first task for tomorrow is to mark these sites on a map.
Yes, Sir.
Now tell me...
if I was interested in black magic...
are there any local spellcasters?
Kaachu Paaku.
He's the only one who does this.
Kaachu Paaku?
His real name is Kachhu Ladeeb.
But everyone calls him Kaachu Paaku.
Have you interrogated him?
We did but we didn't find anything.
OK.
Get him to the police station tomorrow.
I want to talk to him.
OK, Sir.
But...
they don't call him a spellcaster here...
they call him a psychic.
What's a psychic?
Someone who has intuitive powers...
someone who sees the past, the present and the future.
A psychic, you say!
Right.
Paranje...
Sir.
You said nobody comes here to pray.
But look at this.
[suspenseful music playing]
[sound of footsteps]
- Come on, hurry up! - Hmm.
Here.
- Come on in, quick! - Yeah.
[tense music begins]
[shrieking sounds]
Let her go!
Please! Let her go!
Let her go!
That's my daughter!
Let her go, please!
[people shouting]
[sound of radio tuning]
[violent knocking]
Please open the door, Sir!
Please hurry up!
We need to go.
What happened?
Someone has attacked a little girl.
What?
Upon hearing the girl's cries, some villagers came and nabbed him.
People have lost it and aren't even letting the police in.
I can't believe we've caught him on the first day!
[people clamouring]
[clamouring continues]