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C.I.F. – Crimes of Mumbai
Chapter Four: The Puppet String Murders
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Bandra – 6:04 AM
A small, upscale flat complex in Bandra was sealed off by yellow tape.
Inside Flat No. 401, hanging like a puppet from the ceiling fan, was the lifeless body of Dr. Rajeev Iyer, a renowned child psychologist.
The twist?
He was not hanging by a rope, but by thick black threads — marionette-style, wrapped around his wrists, neck, and knees. His limbs positioned unnaturally, like a puppet in a children's play.
On the wall, scribbled in red marker:
> "Children see everything. But no one believes them."
— The Puppeteer
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Crime Scene – 6:47 AM
The flat was pristine — no sign of forced entry. No struggle. No blood. Just… performance.
ACP Sikandar Singh stepped in with quiet intensity, observing the body from afar, arms crossed.
"Is this a murder or a freaky art installation?" Inspector Vijay Kumar muttered, scanning the room.
Sr. Inspector Anwar Ali looked at the strings. "No way this is a suicide. The knots are too precise. Surgical, even."
Sikandar nodded. "And staged to deliver a message."
He turned to the forensics team. "Check for fibers, fingerprints, and anything unusual in the vent. Someone turned this man into a showpiece."
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C.I.F. HQ – 9:15 AM
Dr. Rajeev had a clean record — no known enemies, no financial troubles, no recent threats. But his therapy logs told another story.
One client stood out — Mira Awasthi, a 10-year-old girl, daughter of a powerful local MLA.
The girl had drawn disturbing images in therapy — shadow figures, strings, and a tall man with hollow eyes.
And three weeks ago, Dr. Rajeev filed a confidential CPS alert about possible child abuse in Mira's home.
The file was mysteriously closed without explanation.
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Twist — Another Murder
Before the team could act on Mira's case, another call came in.
Worli, 3:33 PM
The body of Mrs. Karuna Bhosale, a primary school principal, was found inside the auditorium of her own school.
She was seated on a wooden chair, arms extended with strings tied to the rafters — again posed like a puppet.
A second message was found, this time scrawled in blood on the stage curtains:
> "They laughed when they should've listened.
Now the curtain falls."
— The Puppeteer
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Pattern Detected
Two victims. Both professionals working with children. Both had received disturbing anonymous letters weeks ago.
Vijay traced the letter prints and found they matched an old abuse complaint case from 2014 — involving five children who were ignored by authorities.
One of those kids? Samar Bhonsle — now 22. Last seen in Dharavi. Went off-grid 4 years ago.
Anwar pulled up the case.
"All complaints were shut down due to political pressure. Parents of those children never got justice."
Sikandar nodded slowly. "We're looking at someone avenging every child who was silenced. A vigilante… with theatrical taste."
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Climax – Abandoned Theatre, Matunga
Using GPS from old SIM card data linked to the 2014 complaint file, the team tracked a number to a dilapidated theatre in Matunga.
Inside: dozens of puppets hanging from the ceiling, eerily staring down.
In the center, Samar Bhonsle — alive, filming a live stream with the next victim: a retired cop who buried the original abuse complaint.
The countdown was ticking.
C.I.F. burst in. Anwar neutralized the trap. Vijay freed the officer.
Sikandar faced Samar.
"You wanted justice. But you became a shadow yourself."
Samar smiled sadly. "Justice died the day they ignored our cries. I just gave it a stage."
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Final Scene – Dadar Court
Samar was arrested, but his trial became a media storm. Supporters called him a hero. The judiciary was shaken.
C.I.F. walked away from the chaos, another case closed — but not without scars.
"Monsters come in many forms," Anwar muttered.
"And sometimes… they were just kids once," Vijay added.
Sikandar didn't speak. He just lit a match, let it burn, and dropped it into the rain.
Mumbai moved on. But not without remembering The Puppeteer.
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End of Chapter Four
IS something darker in Chapter Five?