“Devil Wears ‘Khaadi’ (The Unmasking of Romesh Sharma)” continues…

I came to know that a certain respectable lady from an affluent background was employed in Sharma’s staff. He was exploiting her sexually on a regular basis. One evening her grown-up daughter came to pick her up when Sharma’s evil eye fell on the young girl. He sent the mother on an errand and while she was away, raped the daughter.

With great difficulty I traced the lady and knocked on the door of the south Delhi flat where she lived. She opened the door and when I introduced myself she said, rather dramatically: ‘‘‘I knew you would come’’’. She had closely followed the news-reports on Sharma’s arrest and could guess that I had become aware of the unseemly events involving Sharma and her. But, she flatly refused to lodge a report. ‘‘‘I don’t wish to ruin my daughter’s life’’’, she said brusquely. Right then the doorbell rang and in walked her daughter, a petite, frail and good-looking girl, perhaps back from work. She exchanged pleasantries with me and went into her room. Her mother asked me, rather mockingly, ‘‘‘After seeing her do you still want me to lodge a report with you? She is getting married in a couple of months’’’. I got up to leave as I had got the message loud and clear.

Romesh Sharma was convicted to 14 years of imprisonment in the helicopter case investigated by us. All credit for the successful prosecution goes to O.P. Chhatwal, my Superintendent of Police, who followed up the case relentlessly up to the highest court of appeal. Sometime in early 2012, when I was posted as Director General of Prisons, Delhi, I visited the Rohini Jail under my charge for inspection. As I was leaving the prison premises, lo and behold, Romesh Sharma stood before me with folded hands, dressed in his usual attire of dhoti, kurta, Nehru jacket and Gandhi toupee, with a big red ‘teeka’ on his forehead. ‘‘‘How are you doing Pandit Jee?’’’, I enquired. ‘‘‘My prison sentence is coming to an end and I will be released soon’’’, he said triumphantly.

To be continued...