State vs. Amrit Kumar : a novel

Amrit is an honest and aggressive police officer who is driven by a desire to rid society of criminals. His virtuous campaign is impeded when he is charged with the murder of a man he tried to arrest. Harvard-educated lawyer Sukumar pleads Amrit’s bail, and learns interesting details about Amrit’s family and friends. He also contests Amrit’s friend Ajay’s case, and here an abundance of wealth works like a poison in the absence of values.

Set in the fictional town of Rajapur, the novel tells the story of two generations from 1990 to 2016. There are situations where villains disguise themselves as innocent individuals to take advantage of the unsuspecting nature of credulous people. Advocate Sukumar frequently quotes from Hitopadesh to emphasize the importance of being careful to avoid being deceived by the wolves in sheep’s clothing. Will he be able to swing a verdict in Amrit’s favor?

The novel also raises an important issue on the accountability of the police. Are honest police officers justified in overstepping the boundaries of the law for good reasons?

Dr Govind Sharma is a medical doctor who comes from a religious family. Before his retirement on 29 February 2016, Dr.Sharma worked on various assignments in the Indian Administrative Service for more than thirty-five years.This is the author's second novel; his first work of fiction Anant Dot Com was published in February 2016.