Karnataka police verifying transactions of Mangaluru conman
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Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Truth, blood and broken systems: 5 true-crime books that explore India's darkest cases
In a country where crime stories flood the headlines, once in a while, a case comes along that does more than shock, it unsettles the very idea of justice. From sensational courtroom battles to brutal crimes that shook the nation, India's true crime genre has evolved into something far more layered than simply mystery solving. Today, true crime is not just about who did it, it is about why it happened and how systems failed to stop it. These stories exposes what lies under sensationalism. Fractured institutions and the psychological complexities of both victims and perpetrators. Here are five meticulously crafted accounts that go beyond the crime to examine the conditions that allowed them to occur. A teenage girl found dead in her own home. A second body discovered on the terrace. And then, a storm of media speculation, botched investigations and courtroom drama that continues to haunt India still. Aarushi is a meticulous and unflinching account of the 2008 Noida double murder of 14 year old Aarushi Talwar and her house helper, Hemraj. From the fumbling local police to the sensationalist media coverage and the Central Bureau of Investigation's contradictory theories. Avirook Sen exposes the cracks in the investigation, missing evidence, coerced confessions and trial by media, that turned a tragedy into a national spectacle. This is not a whodunit. It's a look at what happens when institutions designed to deliver justice begin to crumble. The 1925 Bawla murder case. A high society scandal involving princes, prostitutes and political intrigue. This little known but landmark case documents the attempted assassination of a courtesan, Mumtaz, by none other than Prince Inayat of the princely state of Indore. As the bullets missed her and killed her bodyguard instead, the fallout became a media circus in British India. It rattled the foundations of royal immunity. With a meticulous mix of courtroom drama and colonial context, this case raised questions about power, privilege and justice long before independence. In December 2007, a sleepy town in Kerala woke up to the country's most cinematic bank robbery. Using a fake identity and a rented shop, a gang of thieves drilled a hole from a nearby room into the vault of the South Malabar Gramin Bank, escaping with Rs. 80 million in cash and gold. The Chelembra heist was India's closest real-life case to Ocean's Eleven, only without the Hollywood gloss. This book breaks down the precision and planning behind the crime and also reveals how a combination of flawed assumptions and brilliant policing eventually brought the culprits to justice. It's a pulse pounding account of ambition, deception and the allure of the perfect crime. Meenal Baghel's investigative reportage on the Neeraj Grover murder case where aspiring actress Maria Susairaj and her boyfriend Emile Jerome Mathew were convicted. It is a chilling portrait of love, jealousy and dismemberment in India. What makes Death in Mumbai unforgettable is how it unpacks the toxic underbelly of aspiration in the entertainment industry. Baghel showed the deep moral ambiguities and societal voyeurism that came with it. The book is a perfect example of how class, media portrayal and sexual politics intersected in a brutal, almost surreal murder that continues to fascinate and repulse even today. India's roads are treacherous, not just for accidents, but for serial killers. The Highway Murders brings to light a horrifying pattern of killings along Tamil Nadu's highways, where at least 13 women were raped and murdered over several years. What went unnoticed as isolated crimes was, in fact, a chilling serial pattern, cracked only through forensic breakthroughs and dogged police work. The book paints a disturbing picture of how vulnerable people, especially women become targets in liminal spaces, and how India's law enforcement often fails to connect the dots. It's a story of anonymity and the dark spaces between streetlights. (The writer is an intern with
Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Changing City: Ulwe Coastal Road, key infra project in Navi Mumbai, readying for launch next year
As Navi Mumbai prepares to take its next step in connectivity, the Ulwe Coastal Road (UCR) has been identified as an infrastructure project that will redefine urban transport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The 5.8-kilometre six-lane road with a 1.2-kilometre elevated stretch is being constructed by the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (Cidco) to link Belapur to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) at Shivaji Nagar and enhance connectivity further to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The Ulwe Coastal Road is planned as a mega feeder road connecting Navi Mumbai to the mega infrastructure projects, according to Cidco. Starting at Amra Marg in Belapur and following the Ulwe coast to join the MTHL junction, the road will provide high-speed direct connectivity from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, particularly for those travelling to the NMIA. The highway runs through developing areas such as Seawoods, Ulwe, Bamandongri, and Targhar, which are poised to witness aggressive growth once the Navi Mumbai airport becomes operational. The Ulwe Coastal Road is being planned with both capacity and environmental considerations. The highway will have three lanes on either side, with unhindered vehicular movement. A 1.2-kilometre elevated section will pass over sensitive mangrove areas, and a special railway overbridge will enable people to skip bottlenecks at tracks on the Nerul-Uran route. Cidco's proposal provides for smooth integration with the MTHL, giving Mumbai commuters easy access to NMIA and other nodes in Navi Mumbai. For people of Navi Mumbai, the UCR offers the much-needed connectivity to Mumbai through the MTHL, reducing travel time and decongesting roads such as Palm Beach Road and Sion-Panvel Highway. For those who would be using the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport, it provides seamless airport connectivity, crucial for economic and logistical efficiency. Urban planners anticipate the highway to boost business and residential development in Ulwe and other nodes, with better last-mile connectivity inviting investment and dissolving traffic congestion at older nodes such as Vashi and Belapur. Estimated at Rs 1,400 crore, the Ulwe Coastal Road is one of Cidco's showcase projects in sync with NMIA's phased commissioning. Tenders were issued in late 2024, and construction has begun since then. The deadline for the project is set for early 2026, coinciding with the airport's planned commissioning. The estimate involves structural components, environmental mitigation works, and road safety facilities, consistent with the challenging terrain and environmental sensitivity of the road. The significance of the road is enhanced by the two projects it will link — the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link or the Atal Setu will connect directly to UCR at Shivaji Nagar, while at the other end, the UCR offers a special route to NMIA's terminal area. This three-way connection — MTHL, UCR, NMIA — has been termed 'transformational' by officials for Thane and Panvel commuters, minimising reliance on highways in the two cities and scattering airport traffic more evenly throughout the MMR. The alignment of the road was picked to minimise ecological disruption. The elevated section going through coastal and mangrove-dominated areas in particular ensures that construction does not have direct impact on sensitive ecosystems. Cidco has also pledged compensatory afforestation and carried out environmental appraisal as part of statutory clearances. While environmental groups raise concerns about long-term effects on Ulwe's natural shoreline, authorities have stated that engineering interventions such as building on stilts and creating buffer zones will help preserve biodiversity while supporting urban development. 'The Ulwe Coastal Road is a crucial project among the various initiatives undertaken by Cidco to provide seamless connectivity to the Navi Mumbai International Airport. This six-lane road will play a vital role in connecting the Atal Setu and the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Starting from Amra Marg, the road will be linked to the interchange at Atal Setu. This road will be instrumental in the commercial success of the Navi Mumbai International Airport,' said Priya Ratambe, Public Relations Officer, Cidco.
India.com
23 minutes ago
- India.com
Rs 2156 crore budget, took 3 years to complete shoot, set to break Chhaava, Jurassic Park, Sitaare Zameen Par records; Movie is...
Half of the year 2025 is over, and after Chhaava , no film has managed to cross the Rs 500 crore mark at the box office. However, a film set to release at the end of this year from the Hollywood circuit seems poised to become the highest-grossing film of the year. With a budget of over Rs 2500 crore, the last two instalments of this franchise created a global sensation. Its release date has been postponed nine times, but now, it is finally ready to hit the screens. Cinema lovers around the world are eagerly awaiting its release. When will 2025's expensive film be released? The science-fiction film Avatar is returning to cinemas once again with its third instalment. Since 2009, the Avatar franchise has amazed audiences by introducing them to the world of the planet Pandora. The second part, Avatar: The Way of Water , released in 2022, only increased the anticipation for the third film. Now, the third instalment, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash , is set to release worldwide on 19 December 2025. The budget of the first Avatar film was $237 million, and it earned over Rs 20,000 crore worldwide. The second part had a budget of $250 million and earned Rs 19,000 crore globally. When did the shooting of Avatar: Fire and Ash start? The budget of the third part of Avatar is Rs 2156 crore, and now it has to be seen how much the film collects worldwide. The shooting of this film lasted for three years. The shooting of the film started in New Zealand in 2017 during the second part of the film. The shooting of the film continued till 2020. The release date of Avatar: Fire and Ash has been postponed not once or twice but nine times, and this film was to be released on 9 August 2024.
