‘An engaging account of some of our most sensational courtroom dramas…made for terrific reading.’ —Sriram Raghavan
In late 2006, residents of Sector 31 of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, discovered the remains of a child in the open drain that bordered the colony. As the nation watched on in horror, the police uncovered the body parts of fifteen more children in the same location. These grisly killings were found to have been the handiwork of Surinder Koli, a serial killer who lived in a house nearby.
In Red-Handed: 20 Criminal Cases That Shook India, lawyers Souvik Bhadra and Pingal Khan narrate the stories behind some of the most sensational criminal cases to have caught the attention of the country in the last few decades. From the murder of Nitish Katara in a case of ‘honour killing’ to the shooting of Jessica Lal; from the Harshad Mehta scam to the Best Bakery arson of 2002; and, from the horrifying ‘tandoor’ case, in which Naina Sahni was killed and then cremated, to the trial and conviction of Sanjay Dutt under TADA, Red-Handed examines the motives behind these crimes even as it aims to lay bare the inner workings of the Indian judicial system. Additionally, the authors illuminate the crucial role that the media has come to play in judicial matters—it shapes public opinion, and often even investigates cases and delivers justice, much before the judges do.
KEY SELLING POINTS
• Red-Handed examines the most controversial criminal cases of the past twenty years, which make for a fascinating read.
• Being lawyers themselves, the authors break down the legalese and narrate the stories behind these cases in a simple yet engaging manner.
• Red-Handed puts together India’s most sensational criminal cases in one volume, and contains updates about their current legal status.
• The role of media in criminal trials—which has grown a lot more important in the past few years—has been examined closely in the book.

About the Author

Souvik Bhadra earned his law degrees from the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. He started his legal career with one of the major law firms of India and then worked as a partner at another law firm. Currently, Souvik divides his time between the Mumbai and Kolkata offices of Ashlar Law, a firm he has co-founded. He can be contacted at souvik.bhadra@gmail.com. Pingal Khan also earned his law degree from the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. After graduation, Pingal co-founded a full service national law firm. Subsequently, Pingal co-founded Ashlar Law with Souvik and is currently based in Bangalore. He can be reached at pingalkhan@gmail.com.