FICTION | CRIME | CREATIVITY | LIFE | INSPIRATION
A Criminal Mastermind whose Identity was Never Revealed
What would you call her for the history books?*
A hero in the eyes of the public or a notorious criminal in the ledgers of law enforcement offices. A messiah-like figure for the downtrodden millions or a villainous enigma for the authorities. A viral sensation for entertainment-hungry consumers or a persona to be abhorred by the majority. A name to be adopted by the newborn babies or a name to be erased by her family’s history.
Who is she? Where did she come from? Which organization does she belong to? Why is she pursuing a ruthless path of crime? What is it that enlivens her critics so much? When did she become such a lethal force?
Journalists were writing profiles on her, dissecting these questions. Lawyers were presenting cases on behalf of their clients with incriminating evidence of her criminal offences.
Police squads were on their toes, struggling to find traces of her criminal imprint.
Industrialists and politicians were of their wits, funnelling huge funds to apprehend her at all costs.
Hate-mongers kept spewing filth on her religious, ethnic and racial identity. Panic creators kept spinning the blame on foreign interference, reinforcing that the colonized minds were not smart. Religious leaders were perturbed whether to accept her as their own or excommunicate her for blasphemy.
Poor and innocent victims of abuse made sure to keep her safe from evil eyes. It seemed everyone had her story on their minds; even the latest blockbuster** was seen as a tribute to her.
Sonya Malhotra, Director General of Baybom, the financial headquarters of the state, was adamant about ending the mystery by arresting her alive like an ordinary criminal and peeling away the layers of fame.
She wanted the rule of law to reign supreme and use her example to instill a chilling lesson to all that unlawful activities are wrong irrespective of their purpose.
One could say Sonya had an ulterior motive in catching her. No one knew why. The fervour of passion with which Sonya led the case brought some mind-blowing results.
Legendary titles were given to this criminal mastermind, like the queen of queens, enchanting empress, and boss, and the most common one was the ‘artist.’
An investigative team of forensic experts, detectives, informers, hackers, lawyers, con artists, and psychologists worked around the clock for ten months to give concrete data on the nature of the criminal mind that Sonya was dealing with.
First of all, the crimes supposedly committed by this gang had people of different ages spread throughout the country, and the nature of crimes varied from Robinhood kind of thefts and robberies on the scale of Antwerp Diamond Heist to stealing computer codes like Kevin Mitnick.
Second, only a few people had officially reported the crimes, and most victims paid the amount silently.
Third, the targets were the firms and companies whose scandals of ill-treatment of employees, using substandard materials, or denying minimum wages to the workers were well-known.
According to the team’s investigative conclusions, government offices, non-government organizations, and hospitals were spared.
Sonya announced a bounty of one billion for her arrest and ten million if anyone could provide her identity or whereabouts.
Within hours, the Director General’s office system was down with the inundation of calls and messages, but nothing worthwhile could be discerned apart from one fact. She was a beautiful woman in her late fifties with an athletic build, jumping in and out of buildings like a superwoman. ***
Sonya was not ready to admit defeat yet, so she told her team to study the cases more, hoping to find clues and inject new team members occasionally.
However, a surprise encounter on a local train gave Sonya clues about the mysterious gang leader. Someone left an envelope with some pictures, bank accounts, and a list of names with addresses.
The press conference was televised at 9 pm, even in the country’s remotest corners, with sombre Sonya Malhotra addressing the nation.
Dear Citizens-
I’m happy to report that the most extensive investigation of my city, which ran parallel operations in several metropolises, has ended today. The criminal mastermind, whose name will remain unknown, surrendered voluntarily when the government met her conditions. The details are still being finalized, but I want to send a clear message to everyone. The rule of law stands supreme, and unlawful acts will be met with the harshest punishments, whether or not the acts were done to provide relief and justice to the poor and underprivileged.
Post-script:
The unnamed prisoner was housed in the maximum-security jail in a solitary cell that looked like a cage. She was tired after running to change the world. She was ready to sleep, rest, and retire, leaving the future in her team’s safe hands. They will become politicians and lawmakers to bring much-needed changes by instituting new laws without the strains of their colonial past.
© Fatima Imam (All Rights Reserved)
Sincere thanks to the editors of Blue Insights for encouraging my creativity by housing my stories. ❤️❤️
*Your suggestions would be highly appreciated.
**I should confess Shahrukh Khan’s latest movie, Jawan, did contribute to the storyline. 😂😂
***One can dream of being athletic and capable of doing aerial stunts. 😂😂
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