Police Story (Anjaam Pathiraa)

Police Story (Anjaam Pathiraa)

Summary:

Anwar Hussain, a consulting criminologist, is brought in by the Kerala Police to assist with a baffling case of serial murders targeting police officers. As the investigation progresses, the killer's gruesome methods and clever taunts, including leaving distinctive Lady Justice figurines at crime scenes, plunge the police into a desperate race against time. Anwar must delve deep into the mind of a twisted psychopath, whose motive is rooted in a profound sense of injustice, to uncover the truth before more lives are lost.

Plot (Movie Story):

The film introduces Dr. Anwar Hussain (Kunchacko Boban), a consulting criminologist and a psychology professor, who occasionally assists the Kochi City Police due to his unique insights into criminal behavior. He is a family man, with a supportive wife, Fathima (Ramya Nambeeshan).

The story begins when a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP), Abraham Koshy, is abducted. His corpse is later found in a gypsum field, with his eyes and heart gruesomely removed. The investigation, headed by the sharp DCP Catherine Maria (Unnimaya Prasad), and including Anwar's close friend ACP Anil Madhavan (Jinu Joseph), quickly realizes they are dealing with a serial killer.

Soon, a second police officer goes missing, and his body is found in the backyard of the police station itself, displaying the same horrific mutilations. A Lady Justice figurine is found at both crime scenes, suggesting a symbolic motive. The killer also demonstrates a sophisticated knowledge of technology, having tampered with CCTV footage. Anwar ropes in a skilled hacker, Andrew (Sreenath Bhasi), to aid in the cyber investigation.

As the murders continue, targeting police officers, the pressure mounts on the police force. The killer seems to toy with them, even delivering the body of a third victim, Paulson (Shaju Sreedhar), to Anwar's own house in a refrigerator box, along with a wolf-masked figure caught on Paulson's scooter camera. The killer's modus operandi involves injecting victims with Zolpidem, a hypnotic drug, to abduct them without struggle.

The investigation hits a dead end when fingerprints at one scene lead them to Shameer Abdulla, a cocaine dealer, whose mummified body is found, revealing it to be a decoy. Anwar deduces that the killer made five Lady Justice figurines, implying two more murders are to follow.

The case takes a personal turn for Anwar when his family is briefly targeted, and later, CI Sharathchandran (Jaise Jose) is abducted after a struggle, indicating a failed hypnosis attempt by the killer. Anwar starts to theorize a deeper motive. He recalls a similar fidget spinner found at Sharathchandran's home from an old police file about a psychopathic hacker named Simon. Though Simon was officially declared dead in a prison explosion, Anwar suspects he is still alive.

The police receive what appears to be a breakthrough: Simon and his supposed partner Aravindan's bodies are found, along with a suicide note confessing to the murders and the last Lady Justice figurine. However, Anwar remains unconvinced, believing it's a ruse to close the case prematurely.

Through diligent investigation, Anwar uncovers the killer's true identity and motive. The real killer is Dr. Benjamin Louis (Sharafudheen), a brilliant yet deeply traumatized individual. Benjamin's tragic past is revealed: when he was a teenager, his sister Rebecca was sexually abused and impregnated by a priest, Bennet Franko. Their father, Louis, reported the crime, but SI Anil and Constable Sharathchandran (who were targets of the serial killer) framed him for assaulting his own daughter after taking a bribe from Father Bennet. Rebecca was sent to a convent, and their father committed suicide in prison.

Benjamin, who later went to the United States for higher studies, returned to exact his revenge on those who denied his family justice. The first three "random" murders were diversions. His true targets were Sharathchandran and Anil. The burnt corpse identified as Simon's in prison was actually that of Father Bennet, whom Benjamin had killed.

Anwar races to warn Anil but finds his car deserted. Using a quadcopter, Anwar traces Benjamin's van to a pig farm, where Benjamin is about to kill Anil. Anwar and a few officers intercept Benjamin. Benjamin, a formidable opponent, manages to knock them down. However, DCP Catherine arrives and saves Anwar from Benjamin's chokehold, leading to Benjamin's arrest.

During interrogation, Benjamin remains silent about his motive. Anwar's astute observations, however, lead him to a final deduction: Benjamin is not working alone. There is someone else orchestrating his movements. While Benjamin is being transported to court, he is killed in a staged "fake encounter" by his escorting officers. Simultaneously, a girl visits Anil at his apartment. The film ends leaving a chilling implication that the cycle of injustice might continue, and a deeper conspiracy remains.

Cast:

• Kunchacko Boban as Dr. Anwar Hussain (Criminologist)

• Sharafudheen as Dr. Benjamin Louis (The killer)

• Unnimaya Prasad as DCP Catherine Maria

• Jinu Joseph as ACP Anil Madhavan

• Sreenath Bhasi as Andrew (Hacker)

• Remya Nambeeshan as Fathima (Anwar's wife)

• Indrans as Ripper Ravi (Cameo)

• Jaffer Idukki as Louis (Benjamin's father)

• Mathew Thomas as Young Benjamin Louis

• Nandana Varma as Young Rebecca Louis

• Nedumudi Venu as Anwar's Uncle (Cameo)

• Sudheesh as Sudevan

• Jaise Jose as CI Sharathchandran

• Divya Gopinath as SI Preethi Pothuval

• Abhiram Radhakrishnan as SI Pradeep Raman

• Harikrishnan as SI Arun Mathew

• Boban Samuel as DySP Abraham Koshy

• Arun as Father Bennet Franko

Crew:

• Director: Midhun Manuel Thomas

• Writer: Midhun Manuel Thomas

• Producer: Ashiq Usman (for Ashiq Usman Productions)

• Music Director: Sushin Shyam

• Cinematography: Shyju Khalid

• Editor: Saiju Sreedharan