I knew policemen as big, burly men with thick moustaches.
I'd even get a little scared when I saw policemen.
As a child, I had never seen a female police officer.
I didn't even know that women could be officers.
But I'd seen male officers
and I was impressed by their power and courage.
And I wanted it.
Yes?
A murder has been reported
in the Subramanyanagara Police Station limits.
Where did this happen?
Gayathrinagar Ram Temple, Koutilya Medical Stores.
What's the story?
The neighbor said that he saw a boy crying.
He said there's blood everywhere and a lady has been murdered.
Please send me the pictures on WhatsApp.
Can you call me back please, I'm just dealing with a murder.
In my 13 years of service,
I have seen almost 500 murders.
Each victim is different.
Their backgrounds. The motive for the murder.
-Where is it? -Inside, to the left.
Oh, my God!
She's sitting up.
She was lying down. The son sat her up like that.
She fell here.
-Here? -Yes, sir.
The forensic team can take fingerprints when they arrive.
Have you called for an ambulance?
-If we have an ambulance… -Yes, sir.
-Go away! -Move away, move back!
Go! Move it!
Have you covered her face?
No! I can't see my sister like this.
Come away, lady.
-Are there no men from the family here? -No, only her sisters.
-How are you related to her? -I'm her sister.
Manjula was your sister?
We're four sisters, I'm the eldest, she's second,
Manjula was third and she's fourth.
Was she involved in anything we should know about?
Come with me.
Did anyone have any ill will towards her? Someone she didn't get along with?
She wanted to live separately, she didn't consult us.
She moved here, saying she knows how to live independently--
Was she seeing a man after she left her husband?
-Yes. Some say so. -But she wouldn't tell us anything.
All right, ma'am. Well, this is all I'll say.
People do things, everyone has a life story.
But no one deserves to die like this, that's all we care about.
No matter what mistakes one makes, God must give us all natural deaths.
Sir.
Listen, these ladies know all about her friends and contacts.
Bring them to the station and take all the information they give you.
Form three teams and catch the culprit by tonight.
Yes, sir.
Subramanyanagara Police Station, in Bangalore North Division,
received this information at 4:00 p.m. today.
A 42-year-old woman named Manjula,
a housewife in Gayathrinagar.
We were told that she was lying dead, covered in blood.
We have registered a case of murder.
We don't know who has committed the crime yet.
We will find the person who did this as soon as possible.
Move aside.
Hello, sir.
Yes, sir.
Sir, her son's name is Bhanuprakash, we're collecting information about him.
We've yet to gain clarity, sir.
Her husband left her, he wasn't living with her.
Her sisters are with us at the station, we're talking to them.
They are cooperating with our inquiries.
I haven't handled a murder case before.
The whole scene,
the pool of blood, her disheveled clothes,
all suggest that she had put up a fight.
I felt like she was murdered by someone who knew her.
I've sent the crime team, sir.
They're getting information from the neighbors.
Another team is looking for CCTV footage.
Of course, sir. We're focused on this and we're sure to crack it.
Yes, sir. Certainly, sir. Thank you, sir.
Goodbye, sir.
There was an ironing shop on that corner.
It was an illicit business.
This woman was into immoral work.
Yeah.
I heard no sound coming from inside.
I opened the gate.
That made a noise.
That's when her son came running out.
He was screaming that someone had killed his mother.
His left hand was completely covered in blood.
There was so much--
-How old is he? -He must be 17 or 18 years old.
Bring the son to the station.
On the day your mother was murdered,
when did you visit your friend?
I left home just after 11:45 a.m.
11:45 a.m. How long were you in his house?
I was there until I got a phone call at 3:00 p.m.
What were you doing there?
I ate, watched TV, played a game on my phone.
When did you leave his place?
I left when I got a phone call.
Where was your mother when you returned?
In the bedroom. I went into the house, I went in and switched on the light.
-I saw her head. So I went in. -Wasn't the door shut?
Not tightly. It was a little ajar.
I screamed. The neighbors arrived and called the police.
That's all I know.
A suspect is always a suspect.
He may cry and plead with us to let him go,
he may lie and say he is innocent.
Worrying about their feelings gets in the way of our investigation.
If I fail in my investigation
I cannot do my job properly.
We must only focus on the facts.
And find ways to prove or disprove the suspect's account.
Sir, this is Vijay.
Manjula's son, Bhanuprakash,
says he was at his house at the time of the murder.
-What do you do? -I'm a student. Second year BCom.
You don't look like a student.
Look at those pants.
May God save you.
Why did he eat breakfast at 11:30?
He delivers milk early in the morning.
He leaves at 3:00 a.m. and returns at 9:00 a.m.
-How long was he at your house? -He was at my house until 3:30 p.m.
Then he got a call from someone.
A friend of his mother's called him.
Why did they call him?
They said, "Your mother's phone is off, go home and check on her."
So Bhanu went home.
That's when he found out.
-What did he say? -"Someone killed Mommy. Come quick."
When we arrived, the police were there. We couldn't go in.
Okay, go sit outside.
It's like trying to catch fish.
People never tell on their friends.
They worry about the consequences if they tell the truth.
We have to be stern with the suspects.
If we let them see our weaknesses, we will never solve the case.
After the investigation is complete,
we'll find out if they're guilty, or have been wrongfully accused.
Until then, it's better to keep them at arm's length.
Where were you on the 10th?
The 10th? Friday?
-Speak up! -I came home after 7:00.
-Was your mother home on Friday? -She was at home, but I--
But I'm not sure when she came.
I'll beat you right now.
Was your mother at home on Friday?
-She came home. -What time?
I didn't see the time.
Check her call records to see if she was home.
She was at Majestic Bus Station.
Majestic is infamous for prostitution.
When we searched Manjula's house,
we found a bag in the kitchen containing about 100 condoms.
Until then, I had no idea about what Manjula did.
It's only when I saw the condoms that I realized she was a sex worker.
Honestly, I had seen sex workers before.
I've led raids on sex workers
and on brothels.
The sight of these women makes me angry.
To be honest, I wouldn't even want to touch them.
A woman was murdered in Kolar once.
She was a prostitute and had met the man a few times.
She'd get drunk and would refuse to have sex with him.
So he attacked her.
That could've happened here as well.
-Either way, I don't suspect the son. -No, sir.
It's not him. I'm sure it was someone else.
His movements have been verified by his phone records.
The son is ruled out.
Let the boy go free, he's not a suspect.
The crime team is treating the son like a suspect.
-Yes, sir. -Let him go, he should be left alone.
Yes, sir. I'll inform them.
When the pain gets unbearable,
I gas up my bike and just drive around.
I don't talk about my pain to anyone.
I lost my mother.
Something unimaginable happened to me that day.
I want to forget everything.
What is it?
I'm at Majestic.
They say platforms seven and nine were her regular spots.
Call all the women who were here yesterday.
Let's talk to them and find out where Manjula was that day.
Manjula stood here until noon.
This woman says she saw her.
She asked me if I'd had my breakfast.
-I had some water and left. -Which platform was she on?
Right here, sir. Platform three.
She was wearing a red saree.
-Who was with her? -I didn't see anyone. She was alone.
Sex workers look different than everyone else.
It's not hard to identify them at Majestic.
They dress well and wear makeup and lipstick.
They have handbags to carry all their stuff and they go about casually,
on the lookout for clients. They dress to attract them.
They ruin the lives of men.
That is the common perception among the police.
Which is why the police hate sex workers so much.
The police are our enemies.
The police call us "dirty whores."
"You deserve to die."
They chase us away and beat us with sticks.
The people who are supposed to protect us are not doing it.
Majestic is a dangerous place.
There's the risk of running into the police or our relatives here.
It's very worrying.
Everyone is a threat. We have to watch our own backs.
Were all these women acquainted with her?
They all knew her.
Many of them also know Manjula's house.
She let them use her house for sex work.
-Who was she with? -I didn't see who she was with.
She was one of you, tell us what you know. Help get her justice.
-What happened? -I saw her at the bus stand.
She said, "The crime patrol is headed this way, I have to go."
She got along with everyone, she didn't have any enemies.
She always bought food and tea for us.
She fed us in her house many times. She had a good heart.
She said she wanted to go to the temple.
She needed a customer because she was out of money.
Later, she said she was heading home with a customer.
She said she had a customer?
Yes, and she said she was going home with him.
She is a sex worker.
Her phone placed her here at 1:00 p.m.
The incident took place at her home between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m.
She got a customer from here yesterday.
We're hoping to get a photo of the person she left with.
Any man who was here with her.
-Do you have a camera here? -There's one here.
There are thousands of CCTV cameras in Bangalore.
Many are privately installed.
They're installed in houses and shops.
Getting the suspect's photo is as good as catching him.
We cannot rest until we get that photo.
Who is this one?
Search for this number.
She spoke with someone for four minutes.
Around 1:45 p.m. But I'm not able to find out whose number this is.
We analyzed Manjula's phone records
and traced everyone she'd called.
On the day she was murdered, she'd called a man.
We asked her sisters about it.
They told us he's Manjula's ex-lover.
-That's her. -Isn't that Veerabhadran?
Look at him. Who does he think he is?
You are an old man, don't give us a reason to hurt you.
Do you understand?
Don't get beaten in your old age.
Who's that?
When did you last have sex with Manjula?
Sir, I haven't done anything.
I haven't seen her in over a year and a half.
I stopped speaking to her.
-What do you do for a living? -Shagging is his job.
Isn't that right?
-What do you do for a living? -I'm a mason.
Come here. Show me your hands.
-What's this? -I hurt myself on a masonry mold today.
Move your hand.
Is this from today?
-Show me the other one. -It is a masonry injury from today.
Show it to them.
Look at the injuries on the right thumb.
That's it.
When did you last speak to her?
She called me in the morning.
I was at work. I didn't answer.
I declined her call. I was busy--
One hard kick will send you flying, you son of a bitch.
I met her when she lived near the temple. She told me she didn't have a house.
I pawned my jewelry to get her a house.
-That was the last time I spoke to her. -The bastard is lying again.
What time did she call you?
At 12:15 p.m. She asked me for 4,000 rupees.
I told her I'm a laborer and I don't have money.
You said you didn't take the call, you bastard! Tell us the truth.
-That's all I said. -How much did she ask for?
Get the lathi.
She asked me for 4,000 rupees. That's all.
No, sir.
Where is Manjula now?
I know nothing about her whereabouts, sir.
No, sir.
Spit out the truth, you ass!
I just got her a house, that is all.
You don't deserve the respect owed to your age.
He's just beating around the bush.
How can he talk openly with the film crew here?
Please give us ten minutes.
We'll call you back after we put the final touches on him.
Manjula lived with her son.
Her husband left many years ago.
She was 42 years old.
She'd written in her diary,
"It was my husband who pushed me into sex work."
"He's an alcoholic."
He never provided for her.
The responsibility of running the family fell to Manjula.
That's how she became a sex worker.
She had to raise her son. She loved her son very much.
He meant the world to her.
She went through many hardships for him.
I know what it is to be a mother and feel that.
Anyone in her place would have done what she did.
We compartmentalize our lives,
our work and our personal lives are separate.
I've left my children in the village so they could have a blissful childhood.
I want them to be happy and stay innocent.
Look, he's got a coconut.
The person who inspires me the most is my husband. He's my hero.
It is thanks to him that my life changed for the better
and I am doing well in my career.
No, no, no.
At the moment,
I'm busy with my work at the police station.
So my husband takes complete responsibility
for our family.
It was his biggest dream to become a sub inspector.
But he realized his dream through me.
He takes care of my responsibilities
so that I can be free to pursue this career.
Him taking on these responsibilities demonstrates his magnanimity.
Sit down.
There are about 50 women who work out of Majestic.
Six or seven of them were close friends of Manjula's.
-Are they sex workers? -Yes.
More than 50 women.
They do it to survive. Their stories are terrible.
Only God can help them.
Manjula would pick up a customer from Majestic and take him home.
She would take money after the job.
Her movements near her house are covered by two cameras.
She called her friend at 12:50.
She told her that she'd found a customer and was heading home with him.
We think this customer may be involved.
If he isn't a regular customer, it'll make our work harder.
That's what it looks like.
A man called Veerabhadran is her ex-lover.
We've brought him in. We haven't got his phone records yet.
Once we do, we'll know if he's involved.
There's no murder without a motive.
Why was this person targeted? Why did the suspect do it?
We need to work out the story.
The genuine story which finally concluded as the offense.
Veerabhadran's phone records confirmed
that he wasn't in the area when Manjula was murdered.
There wasn't any evidence to tie him to the murder.
Small mistakes happen during investigations.
Sometimes we may presume someone's guilty and interrogate them harshly.
We may scold and intimidate them.
But then we might find out they're innocent.
There's no black-and-white fixed method.
We put pressure on the staff to catch the culprits, constant pressure.
But innocent people shouldn't be convicted.
Ensuring that is our highest duty.
We don't have the complete picture of this crime yet.
He could attack again.
Every second lost is a matter of concern for us.
The only lead we have now is Manjula's last customer.
She told her friend she was heading home with him.
We must check the CCTV cameras near her house
to see if we can spot them.
You see the bike parked there? That's the phone shop.
Looking for a suspect in a city like Bangalore
is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
In an investigation, patience is crucial. It's everything.
We must work with the faith that we'll solve it, no matter what.
This is from the 11th?
Go back a bit.
He looks like the same guy who was with Manjula in the other CCTV.
He looks just like him.
Is this after the crime?
He is wearing sandals.
Sandals and pants.
This image quality isn't bad.
His bag looks the same.
-The bag is black. -No, it's blue.
It's a little purple. But that's him for sure.
The driver wasn't there, he just got in.
A red scooter passed by. He'll come onscreen now.
He's getting into the auto.
We need to show this footage to the other sex workers.
So…
This is the customer. He went home with her.
He gets out of the auto and goes with her.
He gets off the auto. Look.
He has a bag on his back. Do you know anyone with a bag like this?
At least one of you must be able to identify this man.
He must have been with one of you.
Look closely.
Try to remember.
We see so many people, but we don't recognize him.
He could target someone else.
He's on the loose now. It will be someone else next.
Come here.
Tell the senior officer everything that you told us yesterday.
Manjula had a cup of tea with her at Majestic.
I met her at 12:30 at the cafe in Majestic.
I wanted a coffee at the cafe,
but she insisted we have one at the bakery.
We shared a cup of coffee. She paid.
I haven't seen her since then.
-How long have you been doing this work? -For the last three years.
-Where were you before that? -I was taken to Mumbai and sold, sir.
They sold you in Mumbai? How did you get here?
-I ran away, sir. -I've never heard such a story before.
-Do you have a disease, lady? -I have HIV.
-You don't have it yet, do you? -No way.
I never have unprotected sex.
My fate would be the same as these women if I did.
I always use a condom.
Right, take them away.
Their stories are heart-wrenching.
What can they do? They have no education, no support.
Their husbands die. It's hard to feed their families.
-They have children. -There are other ways to earn a living.
The woman who cleans my house also works in a garment factory.
My house cleaner earns 10,000 rupees a month.
That is enough for her, she makes a living off it.
That must be the best way forward.
We got some new CCTV images from Majestic.
Photos from today, sir.
There's a good one from the front.
The suspect's face is clearly visible.
It's taken from the underpass into the bus station.
Print some photos.
Send a team to Majestic to ask around.
See if any of the vendors recognize him.
-Coffee? -No, thanks.
I'm busy with a murder case, someone's been killed.
We're looking for the culprit.
Hey, mister, come here.
-Have you seen this man? -No. I haven't seen him.
Go on in.
Hey! Hey, you! Stop!
Put him in an auto.
Yeah, that's him.
Subramanyanagara calling control.
The suspect has been arrested, sir. Mukunda HH.
Mukunda HH has been detained.
After 11 days of searching, we got lucky.
Our crime team caught the suspect waiting for a bus at Majestic.
You'd been going to Majestic before the murder, right?
How many times had you gone there?
I didn't go there much, sir.
I don't visit such women.
She called out to me.
So what? Lots of women solicit customers at Majestic.
Why should you look at any of them?
-I might've looked by mistake-- -You must have slept with them before.
My wife wasn't well. I couldn't control myself.
I've never done this before. If this lady wasn't there…
If I'd just missed her by five minutes, I would've left for my village, sir.
God knows, my fate is rotten. I'm disgraced.
I'll admit I don't want to show my face to anyone now. I want to hang myself.
I beg you to shoot me. Don't keep me alive.
We'll see about that. First tell us the truth, you bastard!
Handcuff him and take him away.
Ask them to stop filming.
Please don't record this.
During his interrogation,
Mukunda told us he went home with Manjula.
He wanted to have sex without a condom.
Manjula refused.
She insisted on safe sex.
But he wouldn't agree to it.
Manjula had already taken 1,500 rupees from him.
They fought over the money.
That's when they clashed and the crime took place.
A murder happened over a condom.
For this to happen in a city like Bangalore
makes me so sad.
He refused to use a condom.
How safe do you think it is to go with such men?
How safe are your customers?
I used to be intolerant of prostitutes before working on the Manjula case.
I thought sex workers were worse than criminals.
I felt like hitting them.
I regret that now.
They do sex work to feed their children,
their drunk husbands, their ageing parents.
It is only after I spoke at length with each of them
that I saw how much pain they have in their hearts.
Go to your app store.
Okay?
Type in "Suraksha App." S-U-R-A-K-S-H-A.
Press install.
Click on "open."
Okay.
When you press the red button, the police will call you.
When you tell them you are in trouble,
no matter where you are, a police vehicle will come to your rescue.
In this male-dominated society, everyone blames women.
But in truth, women are being destroyed.
People should remember that a man
is always the reason a woman becomes a sex worker.
Yes.
This case has affected me deeply.
So…
Let's go.
-Please move a little to the right. -Okay.
Everyone, please be silent.
It's her first time briefing the press.
On January 11th, we logged this murder case in our station.
We, female officers, began the preliminary investigation into this case.
The victim's GPS location
appeared to be in Majestic.
We conducted the investigation in plain clothes
and found a CCTV image of the accused.
We caught him and brought him to the police station.
Okay.
Good.
Okay.
-I was shaking. -We saw that.
Sitting next to the DCP is no joke.
I'm too scared to even look at that photo.
Don't worry, it was good.
I'll tell them.
Come to the front, ladies.
Female constables, come forward.
The first time I saw him, I felt a surge of rage.
He committed such a gruesome murder.
If Manjula is to get justice after death,
he must be convicted.
I used to be a respected man.
Now everything is ruined.
Manjula got in my way and caused all of this.
These women are bad.
They ruin the lives of men.
North Control?
-Sir, hello. -Yes, hello?
A child has been kidnapped, possibly by somebody known to the family.
A kidnapping?
A baby. She's one and a half years old.
We've sent the baby's photo and details to all the stations in the city.
I imagine all kinds of things.
The sad reality is that child trafficking is a thriving market.
The longer the baby is away from her mother, the riskier it is.