One Week Later – Salem Judicial Magistrate Court-I
The courtroom was quiet—too quiet.
The usual buzz of advocates chatting and clients begging for adjournments had faded. Everyone's attention was locked on the two men standing across the courtroom floor: Advocate Mano Kanagaraj and Advocate Ilanchezhiyan, the senior counsel representing MLA Arumugam.
It was Mano's first hearing since his return, and the whole legal community had shown up like it was a cricket final.
"Your Honour," Ilanchezhiyan began, his voice smooth and theatrical, "the petition filed by the learned counsel is nothing more than political vendetta, dressed in the language of law. My client, the Honourable MLA, is a respected citizen—"
Mano cut in.
"Respected citizens don't forge land documents and threaten government witnesses, sir."
The judge raised her hand. "Mr. Mano. You'll have your turn."
Ilanchezhiyan smirked.
"I move that this complaint be dismissed for lack of locus standi and insufficient admissible evidence. My learned friend has produced RTIs and hearsay. There's no living witness to support the claim."
The room tensed.
He had gone for the jugular. Without Ramasamy, Mano's entire case rested on paper—and paper could be questioned.
> [Lex System Warning: Evidence Chain Incomplete]
Risk: Motion to Dismiss – 60%
Suggestion: Delay for witness production OR Present Digital Chain of Custody Proofs
---
Mano stepped forward.
"Your Honour, the opposing counsel claims hearsay, but let me clarify. The RTI responses came directly from the Revenue Department and the NIC. These are not private documents. These are government records that contradict each other."
He raised Exhibit B.
"This is the original registry log—digitally signed and timestamped. Entry 404 shows manual overwrite, which violates the Indian Evidence Act, Section 65B."
Judge Vijayalakshmi leaned forward. "Can you establish tampering?"
Mano smiled slightly.
"I have attached server logs from the NIC, showing a false user ID used during a non-working government holiday. The signature used doesn't match the authorized officer. That's IPC 468, forgery for the purpose of cheating, right there."
> [Lex System Skill Activated: Evidence Trigger – 85% Judge Persuasion]
---
Outside the Courtroom – Meanwhile
Two men on a bike circled Mano's parked vehicle. One of them, holding a screwdriver, bent down and twisted something beneath the car's chassis.
"Boss says scare him. Make it look like an accident," one whispered.
"Won't kill him. Just enough to keep him out of the next hearing."
---
Back in Court
"Your Honour," Ilanchezhiyan pressed again. "All this digital babble doesn't change the fact—there is no primary witness."
Mano's face turned cold.
"Then let me introduce an affidavit from that witness."
He produced a signed and notarized document—Ramasamy's sworn statement, collected before he disappeared.
The courtroom erupted in murmurs.
"I obtained this on the day he vanished. This proves that he feared for his life—and that the forgery was real."
Judge Vijayalakshmi scanned the affidavit. Her expression shifted.
"The court finds sufficient grounds to proceed. The complaint is sustained. The defence shall be summoned for cross-examination."
> [Lex System Update: Case Progress 60% – Motion to Dismiss Failed]
Bonus Skill: Courtroom Focus – Level 2 Unlocked
Skill Effect: Increases efficiency of legal strategy under pressure
---
Later – Parking Lot
Mano stepped toward his car, but stopped abruptly.
Something was wrong.
He crouched and looked underneath. A wire dangled loosely from the undercarriage—fresh, exposed, and clearly tampered.
> [Lex System Alert: Sabotage Detected – Explosive Risk]
He backed away slowly.
---
Evening – Mano's Office
Jothi slammed the door. "They tried to kill you! Again! What kind of madness is this?"
Mano unrolled the court order and pinned it to the wall.
"They've moved from forgery to murder attempts. Good. That means they're scared."
He stared at the Lex System interface.
One objective remained.
> Missing Witness: Status – Unknown
Option 1: File Habeas Corpus in High Court
Option 2: Trace Last Known Mobile Tower Location
Mano clicked Option 2.
A map of Salem flickered on screen.
Red Dot: Periyeri – Old Godown
His eyes narrowed.
"Hold on, Ramasamy. I'm coming."