Arvind bhai, are you having a party tonight?
-Why? -Because you're buying vegetables.
I have never seen you buy anything except for onions and potatoes.
I have guests at home.
Okay, fine.
Fine.
I...
have stopped drinking.
Good for you.
I was drunk
and driving the car, when...
suddenly this girl came in front of my car...
Is the kid okay?
It was a sign.
Avantika,
I don't know what point in life I am at.
If anything had happened to that child...
I want to come out of this hole.
We're all standing at a similar point,
where we're clueless about which direction we should be going.
But...
But... I need you.
Please come back.
Oh, hi!
What a surprise.
Hi, Arvind.
You'll have dinner, won't you?
No, I am fine.
Okay, sit.
Sit, sit.
Why didn't we get this information before?
Sir, no one had seen these posts and comments earlier.
Neither our witnesses
nor the police officers who handled Ritu's case.
But still,
Madhav will create reasonable doubt in court.
That's if Madhav Mishra is the one to present this information, sir.
Water.
Yes, yes.
I'll inform him.
What happened?
Lekha has attached the disclosure of the social media comments
to the affidavit.
-What? -Explain to me in Hindi.
-What? -Nothing.
They are killing my surprise.
Mahendra will be alerted,
and my cross-questioning will be ruined.
Lekha will ruin my entire game.
Hmm. Okay.
Who is it?
Mehman ji...
Tell me something.
Why didn't anyone come to know about Ritu's social media account?
Because she had made a secret account.
Really?
But...
why would anyone make a fake account?
On social media,
there are many people with alternate personalities.
Many people.
It's called alternate personality.
In real life, they are pretty dull,
but they sport unique confidence online.
So one can make two-three accounts on social media?
You can make ten if you want.
-Is it? -Yes.
Meaning on your real account with your real face you could be faking it
to look good.
And, on your fake account, you could be the real you. Right?
Yes.
What a riot social media is.
Hey.
What kind of an idiot are you?
Why didn't you run away with your lackeys?
They didn't tell me they were running away.
I may be destined to be a criminal,
but I'm not stupid.
Ass...
But you're a solid guy.
Loyal to the guys you didn't know
a couple of months ago.
It's great.
If you weren't a diamond from a rich family,
then maybe we could've been friends.
But you're far beyond my network.
I know a few people
in the adult jail.
I'll speak to them.
They will look after you in there.
See ya.
Ms. Lekha, good morning.
You look extremely happy.
Good morning.
I don't have a reason to be unhappy.
Of course, you read the social media comments.
Your victory is guaranteed.
Thanks.
But that was a smart move.
What you did at the end was great.
If it is proven, it will be great.
Otherwise, it's just doubt and hate.
Ooh! Poetry.
Bravo, Madhav ji.
Have you heard of poetic justice?
Yes, I've heard and read about every kind of justice.
The difference is we call it only justice.
Good.
Then, let's wait and watch.
May the best lawyer win.
I beg your pardon, Lekha ji.
It's not about your victory or mine.
Justice should be the one to win.
May justice win.
Okay.
The case proceedings may begin.
Show PE 11.
Madhav ji,
are you going to show us a film this time?
Yes, Your Honour.
Filled with mysteries, thrills and revelations.
Dr. Varia's perspective.
Sorry, Your Honour.
I would like to call Dr. Varia to the witness box.
Dr. Varia, did you prescribe this inhaler?
Yes.
Why?
It's used to ease irritation in case of a lung infection.
Meaning something like a cough or cold.
No.
It's a special kind of abrasion.
I mean wound.
But how does this infection occur?
Abrasions like these
occur due to exposure to acidic fumes.
I see. Acidic fumes.
Yes.
Nitric acid?
I object, Your Honour.
He is leading the witness.
Overruled.
Please answer.
It can occur due to nitric acid fumes.
And that is probably the cause of it.
I object, Your Honour.
The witness is expressing his opinion and not answering the question.
Yes, because he's an expert, and his opinion matters.
It will be better if I decided that, Madhav ji.
Yes, sir.
Dr. Varia, whom did you prescribe this inhaler to?
Mr. Mahendra Awasthi.
When did Mr. Mahendra Awasthi come to you for the first time?
25th May.
Your Honour, please note.
25th May.
Four days after the night of the murder,
Mahendra Awasthi visits Dr. Varia's clinic
for treatment of an infection developed due to exposure to acid.
And may it also be noted that acid was used in Zara's murder.
Isn't this a remarkable coincidence?
And what's more remarkable is that
there's no mention of this in the police investigation
because the police had already chosen the culprit
before the investigation.
Thank you.
Counsel.
Dr. Varia, can Mr. Mahendra Awasthi's condition
be caused by sulphuric acid as well?
Of course it can.
Hydrochloric acid too?
-Yes. -And hydrofluoric acid as well?
Of course, yes.
So, it's not necessary for this reaction to be caused only by nitric acid?
-Not necessarily. -Okay.
Your Honour, Mr. Awasthi's lung infection,
this reaction, can occur by inhaling any acidic fumes.
Not necessarily the same acid used to kill Zara Ahuja.
Mr. Awasthi has been connected to the construction business for years.
Acid exposure is not impossible.
But I don't see any specific connect
between Mr. Mahendra Awasthi's lung infection
and Zara Ahuja's murder.
I think this is just an example of the defence's desperation.
I request that
you please disregard this testimony.
Thank you.
-Madhav Mishra. -Yes.
Do you have anything to add?
Yes, Your Honour.
Just that Lekha ji is wasting the court's precious time.
It happens because of nitric acid, this acid or that acid.
Let's say I accept that the reaction happens because of any common acid.
But at least a reaction,
an infection, does happen because of exposure to acid.
If this child has used acid in the Zara murder case,
then even he should have experienced acid exposure.
Why didn't he develop this infection?
He didn't even get a cough or cold!
Your Honour, I would like to call my next witness
Saroj Awasthi to the witness box.
Granted.
Audio.
Do you remember anything from the night that Zara was murdered?
Everything was normal that day.
He left at around 8:00 in the morning
for office after having breakfast.
What time did he return that day?
Same time, 10:00 p.m.
In fact, we even had dinner together.
Is this your voice?
Yes, but that day I told you
-the wrong time out of confusion. -Your Honour, please note.
The witness is answering before a question has been asked
because she has probably been made to rehearse everything.
Please answer only the questions asked.
Yes.
So, your husband
returned home that night at 10:00 p.m.?
Yes?
No.
-Did he not return at all, or-- -Objection, Your Honour,
He is leading the witness.
What leading, Your Honour?
She herself claims that she is confused.
I am just helping her out.
No, you're not helping her.
In fact, you're confusing her even more.
She might be confused about the timing,
but who said he didn't return at all?
Are you telling me this or are you hinting at her as to what to say?
Counsels,
stop fighting like children!
Your Honour, if we track Mahendra Awasthi's phone's GPS location,
then I'm sure we'll come to know everything: what time he came home;
if he didn't come, where he was. We'll come to know everything.
We can order this investigation
only when reasonable doubt on Mr. Awasthi is proven.
So move on.
Yes.
Show the social media post.
See, Mrs. Saroj,
can you read the date of this post?
4th December.
And when did your child commit suicide?
10th December.
How did she commit suicide?
I'm asking how she committed suicide.
By drinking acid.
Order in the court, please!
Very sad.
It is said that the family of those who commit suicide
can never emerge from that incident.
They are filled with grief,
regret and anger.
Your Honour, he is leading the witness.
Sustained.
Fine, I won't tell you.
You tell us.
What was your mental condition after your child committed suicide?
Our daughter was no more.
We were in a lot of grief.
If the grief is intense,
then one can become angry.
Did you get angry too?
Yes.
Did you feel this was unfair to your child?
Yes.
Then you must have felt that you want justice,
even if you had to get it yourself.
Your Honour, this is too much.
Mishra ji, how far are you going to stretch this?
The second post.
Show that comment.
See that. It's a comment by Zara on Ritu's post.
When did you see it?
When she showed it to me.
Inspector Gauri.
You were unaware before that?
You hadn't seen these before that?
No.
How did you feel after reading all that?
How cruel people can be.
Is that all?
Careful, Mishra ji.
You're speaking on a very delicate topic.
Yes.
Did your child, Ritu, have friends?
-Yes. -Who are they?
Kids living in the same society.
Sonal, Riti,
Sanju.
How old are these friends?
What must their ages be?
Around 10-12 years.
And your daughter Ritu's age was 16.
It was 16, wasn't it?
Yes, but...
But didn't she have any friends her own age?
She was a bit different.
She kept to herself. That's why she and younger kids--
Was your child's mental condition...
I mean, were her screws loose up here?
Don't answer that, Mrs. Awasthi!
Mishra ji, I will not allow that language in my court.
Sorry, Your Honour. I will reframe my question.
Were you worried about
your child's mental condition or not?
My child, Ritu, was
a normal child according to her age.
She didn't have any mental condition
or anything like you're saying.
She had no such thing.
-Was she a completely normal child? -Yes.
A 16-year-old child is obsessed with a 10-year-old character Bittu.
Why was she so obsessed with Bittu?
Anyone can be a fan of anyone.
And Ritu adored Bittu.
So you want to say that your child, Ritu, was completely normal.
And one day she suddenly committed suicide by drinking acid
and didn't even leave a suicide note behind?
And what about you two?
You two did not even try to find out what the problem is?
What kind of parents are you?
I object, Your Honour.
The defence counsel is trying to emotionally hurt the witness.
Your emotions are getting hurt, not the witness'.
She is looking absolutely normal to me.
You're sad,
because she isn't giving the answers you rehearsed with her.
Your Honour, suicide is a delicate topic.
The parents may not have emerged from the trauma yet.
Why do you keep reminding them over and over again?
You're triggering them.
Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, APP ma'am.
Thank you very much. You just used the word "trigger."
I was coming to that.
Your Honour, "trigger."
This is a very popular word these days.
In connection to children's mental health,
about which society knows little and isn't too aware.
It has a very important aspect.
Getting triggered.
And people who suffer from anxiety and depression are easily triggered,
and do something
that you or I can never imagine.
Your Honour, in this case, Ritu,
who hid her real identity and was exploring herself online
under a fake identity,
wanted to impress Zara.
And suddenly, one day, she was emotionally very hurt.
Many of Zara's fans
started brutally trolling Ritu day and night.
And the sad thing is that even Zara made fun of Ritu.
Just like Mrs. Awasthi was getting triggered by my statements,
as stated by Lekha ji, not me.
Now, Your Honour,
think how powerful the trigger of social media can be,
especially when Zara's finger is on the trigger.
That's why Ritu's parents
had a strong motive to harbour hatred against Zara.
And I've already established the means
in my statement about the lung infection.
So, Your Honour,
does this still not raise reasonable doubt
when we have another suspect here
with better means and motive?
Was this your closing speech,
or would you like to present any other witness?
No, Your Honour, I do have another witness.
Any cross-examination, counsel?
No, Your Honour, my mental health expert colleague
has already defiled the victim's memories.
I...
don't want to make her mother sadder by asking any more questions.
Next witness, please.
And, Mishra ji.
I hope this time it's something substantial.
And not long speeches like earlier.
Yes, Your Honour.
Even I get tired of speaking so much.
My next witness is Mr. Mahendra Awasthi.
I would like to call him.
So, Mahendra ji,
your daughter killed herself by drinking acid.
-Yes. -Last year on 10th December.
Yes.
And until a week ago,
you had no clue about her social media posts,
comments, et cetera.
No.
Have you ever wondered why she committed suicide?
Many times. All the time.
That's a lie!
Stop pretending!
You know the cause of Ritu's death!
If Zara hadn't made fun of her,
Zara's fans wouldn't be trolling her!
-Objection, Your Honour. -Sustained.
It was nothing like that.
We're ordinary people, but even our daughter was a victim.
You're speaking ill about both the victims.
Maybe you should let sleeping dogs lie.
So, you believe this is not Zara's fault.
Not at all.
Okay, so, before December, did you ever feel
that your daughter had any mental pressure or mental issues?
No.
She was absolutely normal.
Then it must have raised questions in your mind
when she took such a step.
Every day.
But I never understood why.
There are some children who are quiet
and like to keep to themselves.
But not all of them commit suicide.
So, last week, when SI Gauri showed you
the social media posts and comments and when you read these comments,
you must have understood her reason to commit suicide.
Your Honour, SI Gauri showed him the posts and comments only last week.
The murder was committed months ago.
How is there any relevance?
I don't understand this line of questioning at all.
Mishra ji, if you have any proof, then show it now.
Fine, Your Honour.
So, when you reached home after meeting SI Gauri,
you must have read this post
and the other posts as well.
It was such a big revelation about your child.
-Did you read it or not? -No.
What was the point?
Bring up the picture.
Please look at this picture, Mahendra ji.
This is Ritu's classmate.
She was also connected to the Zara fan page.
Have you ever met her?
Yes.
After Ritu's demise, I also went to her school with the police.
To question the other kids.
But we didn't find out anything substantial.
Not after meeting this child too.
-What was her name-- -Angel.
What?
Angel.
Yes, tell us.
She also didn't tell me anything substantial
Not even about the video.
Had you seen Angel's social media profile earlier?
No.
No?
No.
Your Honour, point to be noted.
This girl, Angel, was your daughter Ritu's friend on social media.
And you hadn't seen Angel's social media profile either.
Then how do you know
Parineeta's secret name is Angel?
Your Honour,
this girl, Parineeta, was his daughter's friend.
And just like his daughter, Ritu,
she had a secret profile
where her name was Angel.
So he could never have met Angel.
In fact, there is no girl called Angel, My Lord.
Your Honour, I keep repeating that
this man and his wife are lying on this witness stand.
They are lying through their teeth.
They are committing perjury.
And they are completely beyond the police's investigation.
Madhav ji, maybe I had seen Angel's...
Parineeta's profile.
"Maybe"?
Mahendra ji, maybe you saw it or you didn't,
maybe you came there that night or you didn't,
maybe your daughter was mentally ill or she wasn't!
-Did you kill Zara or not? -I object, Your Honour!
I ask again, Mahendra ji, yes or no?
I object.
Stop it!
There's no point now.
Don't lie anymore.
Because they know everything.
I told her about the posts that day.
Mrs. Awasthi, please do not speak out of turn like this.
Yes, but please don't send him to jail, Your Honour.
Please sit down.
-I beg you. -Please sit down.
Please control her.
Don't speak out of turn. Calm down.
Mr. Awasthi, your wife has accepted she was lying when speaking here.
And you've also been standing here and lying all along.
Was your daughter also a liar like the two of you?
Was your daughter a liar?
Did she commit suicide to hide some secret?
And now you aren't telling us the truth either.
Was your daughter mentally ill or not?
Or was it entirely Zara's fault?
It was Zara's fault!
She admitted it herself!
"I made a mistake. I am sorry, uncle."
She was saying,
"I can imagine how she must have felt."
Even she would lisp sometimes.
"Issecurity... isstrong."
I made her say it. Many times!
She couldn't say it properly herself,
and that girl was making fun of my Ritu.
Children like Zara don't think even once
how they might hurt others!
There are many children who can't equal them.
In fame, fortune or looks.
So aren't they human beings?
Even I told her,
"Don't imagine it, feel it."
She was very arrogant about her beauty.
I destroyed the very face
that killed my daughter.
Mahendra!
Neeraj!
You bloody murderer!
-He killed my daughter. -Calm down.
-He killed my Zara. -Calm down.
Please maintain order in the court.
He used me...
Calm down.
I had set up the bungalow for them myself.
And made sure the back door couldn't be locked.
A week ago, I bought acid,
poured it in a can and hid it in the unfinished bungalow.
At around 11 o'clock, I left the complex.
I parked my car nearby and waited.
I thought
I'll wait till late at night,
find an opportunity to subdue her and bring her to the bungalow.
There are no CCTV cameras towards the beach.
My plan was set.
I waited for them to fall asleep.
At around 12 o'clock, a car arrived
and Zara left in it.
My entire plan was about to be ruined.
A little later, I saw Mukul coming out.
I waited there.
Then at around 2 a.m., Mukul's car returned.
But instead of going to the bungalow,
they headed towards the beach.
I followed them.
I saw her on the beach from afar.
She looked high.
They stayed there for about 30 minutes.
Seemed like they were having a fight.
Later, Mukul left Zara on the beach and drove away.
Seeing Zara alone on the beach
made me realise that it was destiny for Ritu to be avenged.
Zara had to die.
"Lishten, idiot.
"Bittu ishn't isscared of anyone.
"See can protect hershelf.
"Bittu ish competent,
"see is shtrong,
"and her biggesht shtrength ish
"her imaginassion.
"Undershtood, idiot?"
Say it.
No, please let me go.
Sorry.
Sorry...
Uncle, please let me go.
Say it.
No.
Say it!
Listen...
Bittu isn't scared of anyone.
Bittu is competent,
she is strong...
Sorry, uncle, please let me go.
I haven't done anything.
Leave me. Sorry.
Yes...
sorry.
Please let me go.
Shouldn't you have said that to my daughter?
Why me?
Please let me go.
Uncle... no...
Uncle, I am sorry...
-You have to pay the price. -Sorry, uncle.
Uncle, no!
Uncle, what are you doing?
Uncle, please... No, no, no, no, no.
Uncle, no...
Under Section 319 of the Indian Evidence Act,
I order the police to take Mahender Awasthi into custody.
I order that the charges against Mukul Ahuja
by the Public Prosecutor's Office
under Section 15 of the JJ Act 2015,
Section 302 and Section 364 of the Indian Penal Code
should be dropped.
And I also give orders to charge Mahender Awasthi
within 60 days.
Madhav ji.
Hmm?
Congratulations.
Congratulations to you as well.
Justice has won.
Thanks to you.
Thanks for everything, Papa.
Hey.
I think life has given me another chance
to stand by my family,
to connect with you.
Anyway, you should thank only your mom.
She loves you.
I love you.
Thank you.
I guess now someone else needs his family and their support.
Bye.
Bye, see you.
[holy chants in Sanskrit]
Hello, Madhav ji.
-What's up, bro? -Looking fab, bro.
Thanks, bro.
Wow, you're looking good.
I thought you have forgotten all about us.
I can never forget you.
Thanks.
For everything.
If it wasn't for you,
maybe I wouldn't be here today.
-Next time-- -"Next time." No, no, just...
Next time, don't judge someone by his shoes and clothes.
You see, only the mechanic rolling in dirt and grease
knows an expensive car's engine,
not the owner.
True.
Did you order anything?
I am starving.
No, no, we ate before leaving home.
Ate what? We only drank tea.
It has to be your treat, Madhav ji.
My treat?
Waiter!
Come on.
Show me the cheque too, Mehman ji.
Wait. Not yet.
Be quiet. Look, son...
we aren't going to squander away this amount.
We have to get our own office.
You don't get a place in Mumbai; you've got to make it yourself.
You're absolutely right.
But tell me, will my cabin be in front of yours or on the side?
You'll be sitting down on a mat.
You're back.
Come, I want to show you something.
-Even I want to show you something. -What?
You first, then me.
-Okay. Come on. -Come on.
The place belongs to an uncle of my client.
-So she got it for me for cheap. -I see.
This is my new parlour.
I'll get a small business loan and pay the deposit.
-And the rest in small instalments. -Great.
-How do you like it? -Very nice.
Then say something, you're just smiling.
Time to see my surprise.
Oh, yes.
This includes your one year's rent and deposit. All of it.
Thank you.
Make him a genius too.
Hey! What's going on?
Combing my hair.
Combing your hair with a shoe brush?
No, it's a hand brush.
Oh, okay
You talk nonsense.
Let's arrange a veneration first.
Yes.