Scratching his head, Inspector Dubey was deep in thought. Finally, the video was over. His intuitions had come true. The video was not only a confession by Kaushik of Karthik’s murder but also contained the live murder of some girl, whom Kaushik had called Nisha.
This was serious, very serious indeed. The pen drive had certainly fallen from the dead man’s pocket and he was no doubt travelling with the other passenger. But who is this other passenger and how are they both related? The answers lay a few rooms away.
The Inspector put on his police cap and stood up. The constable too stood up. It was time, they realized, the jigsaw be solved. According to Ravi Ratnam, this man in the video is under their custody now.
“I must see the passenger and the TTE now.” Dubey said as he led Ravi out of the room.
Ravi was relieved. At last his observational skills are helping the police solve another case. If not for the pen drive....Ravi stopped thinking. Ifs and buts are not to be considered. They help in forging excuses, not solving cases.
****
A few rooms away, disturbed out of deep slumber, both men were suddenly trying to come to the present. They were still in the station but now they were joined by two policemen. They got up in respect and saluted them.
“We are ready to question you both”, the Inspector said. “But I am afraid you need to come to the police station”, he completed his sentence, pointing to the passenger. He continued, “We will question you both separately. First the TTE will be questioned.”
The TTE was escorted by the constable and two other RPF men to the room in which the Dubey and Ravi had watched the video. Once settled, the questioning started.
“What’s your name?” Dubey asked.
“Puneet Mishra, sir.”
“Have you seen this pen drive ever before?” Dubey showed him the pen drive.
Wide eyed, the TTE replied, “No sir. I have not seen this pen drive but have heard about this pen drive.”
“What do you mean?” Dubey exerted Puneet.
“Sir, the other passenger, that is, the other man who was sitting with me a few rooms away, was describing something about the pen drive being the only source of evidence for his escape. He was telling that he would become a fugitive without the pen drive. This must be the pen drive he would have been talking about, I suppose. However, I had not seen this pen drive before now.”
Dubey noted the answers of Puneet with great caution. Also recording of the testament was being done by Ravi.
Dubey continued, “Do you know about any death in the first class AC coach?”
“Sir, There were only two men who were travelling by the only first class AC coach of the Tamil Nadu Express train that left Chennai yesterday night. I had verified their tickets. However, more than an hour later, I returned to the coach to just check if no other passenger had accidently got there. I know sir, there was no need for me to be there, but fate brought me there. At that time, both the men were standing near the vestibule with one leaning precariously out of the opened door. Just as the other passenger was about to say something, the man leaning across the door, well, sir he just ...” he shuddered and said “jumped.”
Dubey was alert now. He asked Puneet to repeat what he had said. Dubey no doubt wanted to be doubly sure what he had heard.
Puneet repeated dutifully.
After he completed his narration, Dubey asked him to follow to the railway hospital mortuary. Puneet was expecting this. He showed no emotion. He just prayed he recognized the body.
Dubey asked, “Do you recognize him?” pointing to the body with holes on chest and the face nearly unrecognizable.
But still with the dress he was wearing and his shoes, Puneet had recognized him instantly. He blurted out, “Yes sir, this is the man who had committed suicide by jumping out of the train yesterday night.”
“Suicide? You mean this man committed suicide. Was it not murder?”
“No sir, I don’t have an iota of doubt in saying that he jumped all by himself. The other passenger had no role to play in his death.”
“If I say his death is an accident. He accidently fell from the train. What proof you have to disprove my statement?”
Puneet took out his cell phone. He showed the ten second video that he had recorded. Sir, this is what happened in the last ten seconds, saying, he played the video.
Dubey was convinced from what he saw. The man had leaned precariously out of the door and had deliberately jumped. The other man standing behind him had no role to play whatsoever. It showed the other man trying to see the place where the man had jumped but does look unsuccessful in his attempt. This is an important video evidence. The court will accept it.
Dubey now asked his next question.
“And what is his name?”
“Sir, the other passenger claims he had the pen drive which is the only evidence which will prove against him being a fugitive.”
As an afterthought he added,
“Sir, his name is...”Puneet told,
“Kaushik Swaminathan”.