THE KOLKATA SHADOWS | Chapter 9: The Trial of Grief
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THE KOLKATA SHADOWS | Chapter 9: The Trial of Grief
Three months later, the courtroom in Kolkata's Alipore District Court was packed beyond capacity. People lined the walls, sat in aisles, crowded into every available space. Outside, hundreds more gathered behind police barricades, some holding signs supporting Malini Mukherjee, others demanding harsh punishment. The case had become a lightning rod for every grievance anyone had ever harbored against India's justice system. Vikram sat in the witness section, waiting to be called. He'd spent the past twelve weeks coordinating with prosecutors, compiling evidence, tracking down members of Malini's network. They'd identified forty-seven people who'd provided assistance to her over the years—safe houses, false documents, alibis, distractions. Most were ordinary citizens nursing old wounds from the system's failures. None had been directly involved in the killings themselves. The prosecution had made a calculated decision: charge Malini alone for the murders, offer…
