CID 4th August 2012 Written Update

Raaz 14 Saal Ke Qaidi Ka

Scene 1 – A Dark Room
The episode begins in a dingy room, lit only by an eerie red light. A dude roughly slips in a plate of food through the slot for its occupant, who proceeds to engage in a dark reverie about how he’s been imprisoned in there for fourteen years, given nothing but noodles to eat every day. He’s nauseated at the thought, but is determined to eat in order to sustain his body and remain alive to find out who the hateful hostage-taker is. He believes that they shall let him free sooner or later. At this point, a flashing red light at the rear of the room is followed by an uncanny flute melody. He recognizes it, but starts feeling giddy and collapses, senseless, onto the bed.

Scene 2 – A Deserted Road/Forest
The scene switches to a desolate road, where a black SUV drives up to a steep slope by the side of the road, overlooking the depths of a forest below. Three men dismount, pull out a barrel from the trunk of the car and roll it down the slope into the thicket, before driving away without a word. The prisoner from the first scene emerges from within the barrel, clearly anguished as he holds his head and arm. He blinks, unable to focus, having not experienced sunlight for fourteen years. He reaches down inside his coat and discovers a pistol stashed in there, wondering why the kidnapper gave that to him. He further finds two wads of several 1000-rupee notes in the coat’s right pocket.
In the other one, there’s a souped-up mobile which he examines bemusedly. The phone soon rings; guessing that it’s the kidnapper on line, he answers. The caller tells him to relax, saying that he knows the kind of high-tech mobile and notes he’s currently been given didn’t exist at the time when he was captured. The ex-prisoner yells at him, demanding his identity and the reason for which he’d been imprisoned for fourteen infernal years. The caller brushes off his questions and says that everything shall be revealed in time. He adds that the cash and gun are there to aid him in a challenge – to find and kill the caller within three days if he can – and hangs up before his ex-hostage can reply. The latter angrily decides to do the same, carefully conceals the gun in his pocket and moves up the slope onto the road.

Scene 3 – Dev’s House
The ex-hostage, Dev, enters his old house, fighting his way through thick layers of cobwebs. He sadly wipes the dust off the portrait of his once happy family, and avows revenge against the abductor. He moves along a corridor into another room, where he gets a flashback of having brought a locket for his wife, in that same room, many years ago. Just after he finishes talking and asks her to wait outside with their baby, he suffers from a bout of dizziness and collapses. Back in the present, he searches the cupboard and finds the locket still safe in the drawer there.
He keeps it with him and removes a decrepit diary from another drawer, construing that it might have Girish’s number (it’s still unchanged after fourteen years? Incredible! ). He finds it and dials; Girish answers and asks Dev where he was since such a long time. Dev says that he can’t answer that on phone, and asks if they can meet; Girish agrees and asks him to come to their old hangout, Tatara (?) disco at 8:00 PM. Dev confirms and hangs up. At this point, a neighbor named Mahesh turns up outside the room and aggressively lambasts Dev for murdering his wife Priya, adding that he shall not evade the punishment coming his way by having gone into hiding for fourteen years. Dev protests his innocence, but Mahesh is unconvinced and adamantly decides to call the police, ignoring Dev’s requests to stop. In desperation, Dev draws the gun and pulls the trigger in panic, striking Mahesh’s shoulder. As Mahesh goes down writhing in pain, Dev runs out of the house, in shock at what he’d just done.

Scene 4 – Hospital
In the hospital, Abhijeet sir is seen talking to Mahesh, who identifies Dev and recounts the incident, explaining how he’d overheard Dev agreeing to meet Girish in the Tatara discotheque at 8:00 PM. Abhijeet sir notes that they’ve still got four hours to go until then, and decides to look up Dev’s records in the meantime.

Scene 5 – The CID Bureau
In the CID bureau, Sachin retrieves Dev’s records, which show that Dev had fled after allegedly stabbing Priya to death on the 24th of April, 1998. His fingerprints were found upon the knife, and some of his blood was also retrieved from the crime scene, but nevertheless the cops hadn’t managed to track him down. Nikhil says that there must be some truly solid motive for Dev to return; otherwise he wouldn’t have intentionally gotten himself into trouble by going home. Daya sir notes that Dev had a daughter aged 2.5 years back then, named Mira, who’s been missing since the murder. He says that Dev shall have to answer to it all, once they nab him at the Tatara discotheque that night.

Scene 6 – The Discotheque
Dev is seen to be disoriented by the flashing lights at the discotheque in question as he moves among the crowd of dancers, looking for Girish. A girl walks up and starts flirting with him, much to his annoyance. When he asks to be left alone, she reveals that she’s there to take him to Girish. He follows her to a man, who turns out to be none other than Abhijeet sir. He greets Dev with mock delight; the latter rounds on the girl for misleading him. At this point, the real Girish turns up and hails Dev, asking his friend to follow him to his home. Abhijeet sir stops both of them and announces that they’re about to be taken to the CID bureau. Dev attempts to threaten him at gunpoint, but Abhijeet sir seizes his weapon arm and delivers a tight SLAP ™.

Scene 7 – The CID Bureau
In the bureau, Dev’s mobile, gun and cash (given to him by the kidnapper) are seen laid out on the table in sealed baggies. Dev repeatedly protests his innocence and claims that he never committed the murder he’s being accused for, saying that he’d loved Priya since their school days. ACP sir asks if the two of them studied in the same school; he says no and reveals that he was in one Green Horns School while Priya studied at the SK School. Girish seconds his friend’s claims.
Daya sir demands to know why he’d been absconding for so long if he’s indeed innocent; Dev reveals that he’d been kidnapped. He claims that he was never able to see the abductor and thus has no idea about their identity or motive for the abduction. ACP sir sternly expresses his disbelief over Dev’s tall, unevidenced tale and questions him to at least tell where he’d been imprisoned. Dev describes a room supplied with facilities like a TV, fridge and air-conditioner, but says that he doesn’t know where it was. ACP sir remains skeptical and strictly tells him to narrate everything he’d experienced, starting from the day of the kidnapping.
(Flashback)
Dev recounts it all, starting from the 21st of April, 1998; we’re shown a continuation of the flashback scene from the third scene. After Dev faints, he regains consciousness in the dingy red-lit room (which, strangely, has a large LCD TV as well. I don’t think those were available back then?), where he’d be spending the next 14 hellish years of his life. He pounds on the door to no avail and examines his surroundings, wondering where he was and why he’d been imprisoned. Later, a guy pushes in food from the door’s slot; Dev grabs his leg and offers money in exchange for his release. The guy says that his boss isn’t interested in money, and that his identity will be revealed soon, before breaking free.
The scene changes again; four toughs enter the room and forcibly take samples of his blood and his drinking glass. They ignore his questions and barge out of the room. Later that day, he finds out why they did this; a news channel broadcasts a report of Priya’s murder, saying that his fingerprints had been found upon the knife, along with droplets of his blood at the crime scene, concluding that he’s the murderer and has been absconding with the police hot on his trail. It further reports that his little daughter Mira is missing and has allegedly been taken away by her father. Dev is devastated to see this, laments Priya’s death and frets where Mira is. He yells out at the kidnapper, to no avail.
(Flashback ends)
Back in the present, Dev avows revenge against the killer and again frets about Mira’s fate. Girish attempts to console him and advises him to leave the rest to the CID. Daya sir says that judging by the precise implantation of Dev’s fingerprints and blood upon the crime scene, some police officer or doctor must be involved. ACP sir questions Dev about the gun, cash and mobile; Dev explains everything that happened in the second scene, and that the caller had used a private number. Girish requests the team to protect Dev; Fredericks assures him of the same.
Sachin points out that private numbers aren’t easily available; the caller was no amateur. Dev says that he’d never heard the voice before. ACP sir asks him to recall as many details about his gilded cage as possible. Dev reveals that it’s extremely hard since the room was largely soundproof and had no windows, but remembers the eerie tune which used to knock him out and also the regular sounds of aircraft in there. Daya sir presses him to think further as the tiniest of details could prove to be vital. Dev recalls, with great disgust, that he was only given noodles to eat everyday for those fourteen years – of the same kind to boot. He adds that he can never forget that hateful taste. ACP sir says that he shall have to eat the noodles once more in order to help them.

Scene 8 – Restaurants/Outside the “prison”
Sachin and Nikhil are seen taking Dev to various restaurants, eateries and dhabas to eat the noodles there. Finally, he seems to recognize something as he eats in one of the little eateries. A worker in there gives them shifty looks before watching, concealed, from behind a curtain to their side. Dev confirms that these are the same noodles he’d been eating for fourteen years. Sachin decides to ask the owners where the noodles in question were being delivered every day for fourteen years. Hearing this, the worker bolts out from his hiding and is pursued through the streets by Sachin, Nikhil and Dev.
He runs straight to a gang of thugs in a building and screams that the CID is after him. They draw their guns, but Nikhil seizes the guy and Sachin forces them to drop the weapons. Dev notices video surveillance on the wall, displaying the same room he’d been imprisoned in. He angrily grabs the gang leader, but the man reveals that they had been paid to do it all by someone who regularly calls them using a private number. He adds that the money was placed in the building’s trash bin on the 1st of every month. Dev wonders who this mastermind is; Sachin says that they shall find out soon.

Scene 9 – The CID Bureau
In the bureau, ACP sir asks Dev to name everyone who could have possible reason to hold the tiniest grudge against him, right from childhood. Dev does so, and ACP sir reads out the small list aloud. At this point, Dev’s phone rings and he notices that it’s the kidnapper; ACP sir instructs him to answer it and turn on the loudspeaker. The caller taunts Dev and says that they shall confront each other within 24 hours. Dev fires back at him, but the man says that the false confidence he’s gained due to the CID’s presence won’t be of any help. The team is surprised to hear this. The caller wonders why Dev didn’t include his name in the list of enemies, and soon hangs up. Rajat wonders how the guy knew that Dev had been listing his enemies in the bureau. Fredericks checks around for hidden bugs in the bureau, but finds none. ACP sir signals them to remain quiet and silently writes a note for Dev to read.

Scene 10 – The Forensic Lab
Dr. Salunkhe and Dr. Tarika are seen operating on Dev in the forensic lab (yikes!). Dr. Salunkhe extracts a microchip planted under Dev’s backside and signals the team to remain quiet as he safely closes it away in a soundproof jar. He says that the kidnapper won’t be able to be updated about their progress now, and adds that Dev’s anaesthesia shall wear off within two hours. ACP sir wonders how Dev never knew that his body had been implanted with an electronic bug. Dr. Salunkhe informs him that they’ve discovered traces of valium in Dev’s blood – a dangerous gas used by Russian troops’ anti-terrorist missions in Chechnya. They’ve also noted the extremely low levels of vitamin D (due to his complete non-exposure to sunlight for fourteen years) and a drug named snodon-something (?) used to treat schizophrenia in his blood. Dr. Salunkhe explains that this was to ensure that Dev didn’t go insane during his 14 year-long imprisonment in that dark room. ACP sir instructs Rajat to go find out who sold the chip, and to whom.

Scene 11 – A Dark Room
Sachin and Nikhil read out the chip’s purchase date and batch number to a guy, who recalls having sold it to one inspector Rishabh, who’d been apprehended red-handed by the commissioner in an act of bribery and suspended henceforth, two years ago. He agrees to provide the inspector’s residential address, but adds that their meeting should remain a secret. Sachin assures him of the same.

Scene 12 – Rishabh’s House
The team arrives outside Rishabh’s house; Rajat remarks that this affirms their suspicion of a police officer or forensic doc being involved in the crime. ACP sir says that he’s pivotal to them obtaining a lead on the kidnapper. Sachin wonders whether the guy had been forewarned of their coming and had managed to make his getaway; ACP sir instructs him to break open the door. They search the deserted, dark house and eventually Rajat comes across Rishabh’s bleeding corpse lying in one of the rooms. ACP sir notes that he’d been viciously stabbed and slashed several times. Sachin says that Dev’s abductors could be behind this grisly murder as well; ACP sir agrees and says that they must’ve been afflicted after the bug stopped working. He instructs them to thoroughly search the place for further clues.
Meanwhile, Dev and Fredericks are seen playing chess in the latter’s home. Freddy sympathizes with his plight and tries to make him relax. Back in Rishabh’s house, the team is seen meticulously searching every nook and cranny of the place and eventually, ACP sir finds an invitation card for the Green Horns School’s class of 1985, indicating that Rishabh used to study there as well. ACP sir says that this could be the case with the killer as well, and wonders why Dev never had mentioned anyone who’d studied there with him. He instructs Rajat to call Fredericks and ask Dev to recall if he’d ever crossed anyone during his term in that school. Rajat complies; Fredericks answers and says that he’s closely watching Dev as the kidnapper’s limit of three days is over. Just as he’s about to hand over the phone to Dev, the lights go off and the eerie flute melody starts to play; both Dev and Freddericks are knocked unconscious and the line is disconnected. The cops are alarmed; Sachin recognizes hearing the tune on Dev’s phone. ACP sir sharply decides to leave for Freddy’s house at once.

Scene 13 – An Abandoned Warehouse
Dev and Fredericks are seen tied up in an abandoned warehouse. A young girl in hooded attire throws water over both of them and sarcastically greets Dev, announcing that it was her father who’d kidnapped him, whom she refuses to name, and she’s now going to finish him off for good. She draws a gun and proceeds to threaten and taunt him with it. Fredericks and Dev demand to know her father’s identity; she finally reveals that it was one Prabhat Kumar, and her mother was Chitrangada Kumar – who Dev supposedly murdered. Dev furiously denies it and says that he doesn’t know either of them. He demands her to bring the father forward, but she refuses and, despite Fredericks’ warning, shoots Dev in the chest. Just as she raises the gun for a second shot, the CID team turns up and ACP sir disarms her with a well-aimed shot to the hand. Shreya captures her while the others untie Fredericks and Dev; ACP sir orders for the latter to be taken to the hospital at once. The girl yells at the team for thwarting her, and Shreya hands her a tight SLAP ™.

Scene 14 – The CID Bureau
The scene switches to the bureau. The girl, Natasha, unapologetically reveals that her father, Prabhat Kumar, had trained her to avenge her mother’s death. Hoping that Dev succumbs to his injury, she says that she doesn’t care about any legal punishment and adamantly refuses to disclose the whereabouts of her father. Daya sir asks Fredericks to retrieve info about Prabhat Kumar, and Sachin-Nikhil to go to the Green Horns School for more details.

Scene 15 – The Green Horns School
Sachin and Nikhil meet the principal of the Green Horns School and ask for details about the batch of 1985. He looks up the file for them; Sachin notes that Dev had left the school in mid-term on the 15th of July due to some problem with his father. On the 2nd of September, a girl named Neelam had inexplicably committed suicide in there. Nikhil asks the principal about it, but he claims knowing nothing about that as the late Mr. Dinanath had been the principal of the school back in 1985.
Sachin also notes that Neelam’s brother Prabhat Kumar, apparently Natasha’s father, had been in the eighth class then, in the same school. Nikhil estimates that he must’ve passed out in 1985; they check the list and see that Prabhat and Rishabh had been classmates. Sachin construes that they must’ve been well-acquainted with each other and it must’ve been easy for Prabhat to ask the other to get the bug for him, and killed him when the CID came to know about it. He also says that Dev could possibly be responsible for Neelam’s death, and probably knows nothing about it as he left the school in July – about two months before her suicide. They ask the principal to provide photographs of all the people in question, and are shocked to see Prabhat’s photo. Sachin says that it’s time to nab him once and for all.

Scene 16 – The CID Bureau
Fredericks enters the bureau and informs Daya sir that Prabhat Kumar is absconding, with his phone switched off. Natasha says that they shall never be able to catch him. Sachin and Nikhil enter and provide him with printouts of the data they’d obtained from the Green Horns School. Daya sir scrutinizes the file and asks Natasha if she knew about her aunt, Neelam, having committed suicide. She replies that her father never told her about it. He shows her the file and points out that Neelam and Dev had studied in the same school, adding that her father had manipulate her to avenge not her mother’s but aunt’s death.
He tries to make her realize the truth in his words, showing that her father had never even shown her a photo of her mother (since no such person exists), her parents’ apparent marriage date is fake (as Fredericks and the others found out from the registration office). Natasha is in desperate denial of all this and claims that they’re attempting to trick her into revealing her father’s whereabouts. At this point, Dr. Salunkhe enters and shows her DNA reports which reveal that Dev is her real father. Daya sir says that they suspected her being Mira ever since they saw the mole on her cheek, and that Prabhat Kumar is, in fact, the criminal who murdered Priya, framed Dev for it and now tried to have him killed by his own daughter, which would lead to her execution and enable him to easily usurp Dev’s properly. Mira is shocked to realize that she shot her own father, and decides to get back at Prabhat Kumar. Daya sir asks for his location, saying that he shall be punished by the law.

Scene 17 – An Abandoned Warehouse
Mira hires an auto to an abandoned warehouse and meets Prabhat Kumar (face not revealed) inside; he’s surprised to see that the CID released her. Mira claims that they were touched by the painful tale of her mother’s death. Prabhat remains skeptical and says that it could be a trick of theirs; at this point, Daya sir and the others turn up to apprehend him. Prabhat gets up; he’s revealed to be none other than Dev’s “friend”, Girish. Mira condemns him for his vile crimes, lies and betrayal. Prabhat draws his gun to kill them all, but is seized and finds himself on the receiving end of a jaw-shattering SLAP ™ by Daya sir.

Scene 18 – The CID Bureau
In the bureau, Prabhat claims that he sought revenge because his sister had died because of Dev ‘ he’d spread false rumours of her being in love with him, and even after he left the school, the other students there continued to taunt her about the same, leading her to break down and commit suicide. Vengeful, he lay in wait until he got an opportunity to befriend Dev under the alias of Girish. Daya sir says that while his sister was wronged, his acts were equally deplorable as well. He adds that he shall now have to face the gallows for the same.

Scene 19 – The Hospital
Abhijeet sir arrives in the hospital along with Sachin, Nikhil and Mira. The doctor informs them that Dev is unlikely to survive as he’s been shot close to the heart and suffered from profuse blood loss. A heavily repentant Mira goes to her father’s side and attempts to revive him. The doctor notes that his condition is steadily worsening. Mira prays to God and vows to pay for her crimes if her father is saved. At this point, Dev starts to regain consciousness. Mira pleads for forgiveness; Dev consoles her and slowly hands her the 14 year-old locket, which is shown to contain two pictures of her in childhood, next to her father.

THE END