Baghel, Meenal. Death in Mumbai

Baghel, Meenal. Death in Mumbai, Random House, India 2011. (Pages 232, paperback)

Rating: 3.5/10

In May 2008, Emile Gerome, a naval lieutenant, flew secretly from Kochi to Bombay in the night to verify the fidelity of his fiancée Maria Susairaj. On finding Neeraj Grover in her bedroom, in a few mad minutes he killed Grover with a kitchen knife. Over the next few hours, Emile and Maria managed to chop, pack, borrow a friend’s car and travel to Bombay’s north to dispose of the body. Owing to the beauty quotient of the victim and accused being much higher than in an average murder case, this case received far more column inches and TRPs than its contents warranted. A verdict was delivered in June 2011, where Emile was given ten years for culpable homicide, and Maria three years for destruction of evidence.

All this is known and extremely well documented. The images and story are still fresh in the mind of the public. Why would anybody want to read (or write) a factual account of the story once again?

In fact, I asked that question several times when reading the first part of the book (88 pages). In it, Meenal Baghel gives a chronological account of the murder and introduces us to Maria and Emile, the two people eventually convicted for that crime. I found this section dry and unappealing. It felt as if the author had to do the unpleasant task of giving the background before starting the book.

To Ms Baghel’s credit, the book raises its standard after that. The chapters on Ekta Kapoor, Moon Das and Ram Gopal Verma are interesting and give to people, who are not regular readers of film magazines, an insight into the world of the beautiful and rich. The connection with Moon Das is extremely tenuous. In fact, this section is almost entirely disconnected with the main story or the book.

As a seasoned journalist (editor of Mumbai Mirror), Ms Baghel has done significant amount of research for this book – mainly interviewing friends and relatives of the accused and the victim. The book de-sensationalises media claims (such as the body being chopped in 300 pieces, instead of the factual 5-6 pieces). However, most of it remains a journalistic account and fails to evoke our sympathy for any of the three leading characters.

Verdict: Converting a true story into a book requires a new angle that generates emotions, which in turn makes the reader change his earlier biases. Though the book offers new material, mostly anecdotal, it did not change my perceptions about the key characters. If you must read it, borrow from me.