FF: Mysterious Murder at Manampur; Updt-Pg 44;5/2 - Page 14

Chapter 5 Part 1: Surprise Visitor

Four months had passed since the murder when one day a man showed up at police headquarters. He handed over a business card that read: "Arjun Sethuraman, Proprietor, Sethuramans' Wholesale and Retail Store, Krishna Street, Betma, Indore."

Arjun's father had been missing for 4 months, ever since he had left on a piligrimage. He wondered if his father might be the Manampur railroad murder victim.

Mr. Suraj Sachdev and Mr. Manish Rajan met with Mr. Arjun Sethuraman. Arjun seemed like an upright young man in his early thirties.

S: What were the circumstances surrounding ur father's disappearance? Could you tell us in detail?

A: Yes. My father was Mr. Aravind Sethuraman, turned 51 this year. As you can see from my card, I run a wholesale and retail store in a small town in Indore. Infact, I'm not his real son. I was adopted. Father lost his wife early and had no children. He hired me to work in his store, and then adopted me into his family. Then I married a local girl.

M: Hmm, so it's what they call getting a son to gain a bride.

A: Yes. That's it. My father had never been on a pilgrimage and he wanted to go once in his life. My wife is not so kind women and she didn't want to send him as it costs a lot. But he already decided and left one night with his savings. He informed me from time to time where he was and said he wanted to take time.

S: I See.

A: I encourage him because he had worked so hard from the time he opened the store about 10yrs ago to make it the best in town. I know the difficulties my father has faced, so I wanted him to take this time off. When he called me, he said he didn't want to be tied to a schedule. He wanted to enjoy a lazy trip.

M: But he never came home?

A: No he didn't. Since he had said he didn't want to plan ahead I didn't think anything of it when he didn't come home right away. But when it got to be more than three months, I started getting a little worried. So I filed a missing person report with the local police 15 days back. When I filed the report, they checked their records, and the Manampur case turned up. I was shocked when I saw the police artist's sketch of the victim's face. I recognized my father right away. That's why I rushed to Lucknow. I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble, but I would like to identify the victim.

Manish Rajan brought out the victim's clothing and other belongings and showed them to Arjun.

Arjun's face twisted in pain. He remembered all that he had done to his father and vice versa and felt shameful for his acts.

It was his father, who has adopted him, gave good life but inturn what did he give to his father. He lost his father due to his cunning nature and the desire to attain all the money his father earned. He was rude with his father and didn't say anything when his wife insulted and treated badly with him. He wished he never listened to his wife and stopped her from insulting. But it's too late now. He busted out crying with his father's belongings in his hands.

Coming to his senses and with flushed face and cracked voice..

A: Those are definitely my father's things. Father was from a small village, so he wore this kind of worn, inexpensive clothes.

M: We'd like to show you some photographs, just to make sure. We're very sorry, but we have already cremated the body. We do have written physical description, though.

The photograph's taken by the identification division showed the victim's battered face from every angel. Arjun was so shocked he couldn't breathe, but finally he found a few remaining identifying marks and stated that there was no mistaking his father.

S: About how much money did your father have with him when he left on his trip to pilgrimage?

A: It was not a large sum, about 20 - 25 thousand rupees, enough for one month's travel expenses and lodgings.

M: Ur father said that he would be traveling towards south direction but he died in Manampur, near Lucknow. Did he have any business in that area?

A: I'm confused about that. I have no idea why father would have gone to Lucknow when he said he would be going to travel towards South. He telephoned me on 1st of December from Nasik and said he would travel to Akkalkot through Shirdi after 2 days.

M: He never mentioned Lucknow?

A: No, never. Father would have told me if he had planned to visit Lucknow.

M: Since he died near Manampur station, could he have visited someone in that area?

A: Not that I know of.

M: Was your father originally from the region where you now live?

A: Yes, he was from Betma, Indore.

M: But u said he started his Store about 10yrs ago. What was he doing until that time?

A: As I said before, I was adopted after he started the store, but he said he was a professor in some college.

S: A Professor? And where was that? Was that also near Indore?

A: I think so.

S: So he opened this cloth store right after he left the Job? And how is the business doing now? Is it going well?

A: Well Betma is a little town near to Indore and the population is very small, but the store has been doing well since my father opened it.

M: Did u father has any enemies?

Arjun shook his head violently.

A: There is no way that he could have. Everyone respected father. As you can see from his adopting me, he was always helping others he was so well thought of that.

S: It is very sad that someone like that should have met with such an untimely death in Murampur. We promise to find his murderer. Had your father ever come to Lucknow before?

A: Not as far as I know. I never heard that he had ever lived in Lucknow or even visited.

M: Is there a place called Sahu near where you live?

A: Sahu? No, there isn't any place.

M: Then did your father have an acquaintance named Sahu?

A: No, I never heard of any such person?

M: Mr. Arjun. This is very important point, so I'd like you to consider it carefully. U're sure that the name Sahu means nothing to u?

A: (thinking for few minutes) I don't recall ever hearing that name. Who could that person be?

Manish ji looked over at Suraj ji. Suraj ji indicated that he could respond.

M: Your father and the person we suspect of murdering him had been drinking together at a cheap bar near the scene of crime. We have witnesses to that effect, and according to them the name Sahu was mentioned in the conversation between your father and this other man. We're not sure if Sahu is a person or a place, but they both knew the name.

Arjun thought for some more time, but his response was the same that he never heard that name.

Manish ji changed his line of questioning.

"Mr. Arjun, did your father spoke with a northeastern accent?

A: (looked startled and asked) What? No, father didn't have a northeastern accent.

Both Suraj ji n Manish ji were surprised by this answer.

M: Are you sure of that?

A: Yes I'm positive. As I told u, I was a shop clerk when I was adopted, but I've never heard that father lived in the northeastern area. He was born in some remote village of M.P., so there would be no reason for him to speak with a northeastern accent.

Manish ji n Suraj ji exchanged looks. The fact that the victim had spoken with a northeastern accent had been one of the main clues. Relying on it, had gone all the way to Sahu hills. But Arjun's response had completely negated that lead.

M: I would like to ask u, whether ur father's parents, your step-grandparents, were born in the northeastern region?

A: No, they weren't. Father's parents were from South of M.P. They have no connection to northeast at all.

Had the witnesses in the bar been mistaken about the victim's accent? No, that couldn't be. The customers and the bar girls had all repeated that the victim had spoken with a northeastern accent. Manish ji was puzzled.

S: We'll probably be in touch with u again about this.

A: Will it be alright for me to go now?

S: Yes that will be fine. We're very sorry about what happened to ur father.

A: Thank you very much. Do u have any idea who killed my father?

S: We haven't yet been able to identify him. But now that we know that the victim was ur father, it will be a great help to the investigation. We now have a clearer picture of the situation. I think we'll be able to arrest the murderer without too much difficutly.

A: But why did father come to Lucknow?

S: This was exactly what we wanted to know.

Arjun left the police headquarters. He felt sad that his father is no more. But he felt happy thinking that now the business and all the money is his.

S: What a problem?

M: Yes. It's a real mess. All my assumptions so far have been completely invalidated. It's great that we've finally identified the victim, but now we're back to square one.

Once the meeting was over, Manish ji didn't want to meet the investigation team. So he decided to leave home. Before that, he called Aditya.

M: Adi, we've finally identified the victim.

A (He already  heard): I understand he was from a remote village of M.P.

M: That's right.  

A: That's totally different from what we'd suspected, isn't it?

M: We were way off base. But now at least we have the victim identified and I may be reassigned to this case again, so I might come bothering u.

A: I hope u do. I'm glad I can learn a lot from u if we get to work together again.

M: Don't say that. My theories on this case have been wrong from the beginning.

A: This is a chance to start fresh.

M: I would like to get together tomorrow.

A: I will be waiting for u.

Chapter 5 Part 1 Completed

Part 2: The Woman of the Paper blizzard