Madras High Court – Two Days Later
The air in the courtroom felt heavy with tension. Mano adjusted his coat collar and stared across the hall at the opposing bench. Sitting there, in his signature silk black robe and smug expression, was Senior Advocate Jayaraman, the legal brain behind half the corrupt officials in Tamil Nadu.
The reason for today's hearing?
A stay petition filed by MLA Arumugam, arguing that the entire criminal complaint against him was politically motivated, legally flawed, and should be frozen.
> [Lex System Alert: High-Level Litigation Detected]
Motion Filed: Petition to Stay Lower Court Trial
Risk Level: 72%
Suggestion: Counter with precedence & procedural violations
Judge Subramania Iyer, known for his strict interpretations of law, entered and sat with gravitas. He glanced at the two lawyers and nodded.
"Proceed."
---
Jayaraman stood first.
"Your Lordship, this case, though dramatic, is nothing more than a circus built on media hype. My client, an elected MLA, is being defamed without proof of direct involvement. Forgery? All handled by subordinates. The Advocate here, Mr. Kanagaraj, is not an aggrieved party—he has no locus standi to drag this to criminal trial."
He paused dramatically, letting the words settle.
"And we request an immediate stay on the proceedings at Salem Judicial Magistrate Court. If not, an innocent man's reputation will be tarnished by procedural overreach."
---
Mano stood. Calm. Controlled.
"Your Lordship, I stand here not as a political activist, but as an officer of the court. The law doesn't say that a citizen must own the property in question to report a criminal conspiracy involving public records. Forgery of government land—whether or not I'm the owner—is an offence against the State, not just the victim."
He walked slowly across the courtroom.
"I have submitted records from the NIC, revenue office, RTI replies, and even a witness affidavit—all pointing to forgery, digital tampering, and procedural fraud. We're not discussing minor errors, Your Lordship. We're discussing a criminal network manipulating land records at will."
He placed a copy of a Madras HC precedent on the bench.
> Case Reference: Murugan v. State of Tamil Nadu, 2009
Ruling: "Any citizen has the right to seek criminal action where public records are tampered."
Outcome: Stay Dismissed
> [Lex System Skill Activated: Precedent Match – Success Rate 81%]
Judge Iyer skimmed the document. His brow raised slightly.
"Senior Advocate Jayaraman, this court agrees that the petitioner has no clear defense on record. The trial court has not erred in admitting the complaint. Therefore—"
He lifted his gavel.
"The stay is rejected."
Gavel bang.
"And Mr. Jayaraman. This court expects you not to waste judicial time with theatricality."
The entire gallery tensed, then erupted in whispers.
> [Lex System Update: Trial Status – ACTIVE]
Stay Motion: REJECTED
Bonus Skill Unlocked: Judicial Immunity Aura – Level 1
Effect: +10% resistance to influence-based stay tactics or political intervention
---
Later That Day – Mano's Office
Jothi leaned back with a sigh of relief. "You crushed it, da. High Court dismissal is not a small thing. The case will now run its full course."
Mano didn't smile.
"I haven't won yet. They're not done."
He turned toward his screen.
> Witness Location Tracker – Active
Signal Strength: 87%
Status: Stationary for 72 hours
Target: Abandoned Godown – Periyeri Road, near Salem Steel Plant
"I have to find Ramasamy. Without him in person, this case remains a paper war."
---
Elsewhere – Periyeri
Inside a dimly lit warehouse, Ramasamy's hands were tied, lips dry, wounds crusted.
Thennavan walked in with a steel tumbler and a fake smile. "High Court rejected our stay, old man. Your lawyer friend has power now. But what happens if the only witness goes missing forever?"
Ramasamy gritted his teeth.
"You can't kill the truth."
Thennavan grinned.
"But we can kill you."