The ceiling fan above Mano spun with a soft creak as he sat in his modest office on Omalur Main Road, staring at the scattered papers on his desk. He'd spent the entire night filing a missing person complaint, but the police barely lifted a finger.
Ramasamy had vanished.
His only witness was gone, his documents destroyed, and the accused were now aware that Mano was back—and dangerous.
But he wasn't broken. Not yet.
> [Lex System: Evidence Status – 1/3]
Witness: Status Unknown
Recommendation: File Right to Information (RTI) to acquire official land acquisition records from Revenue Department.
Bonus Path: Seek digital tampering proof via NIC portal.
He stood and grabbed his bag. "If they want war, I'll give them paperwork they can't ignore."
---
Hours Later – Salem Collector Office
The government building buzzed with bureaucratic chaos—stacks of files, chai in plastic cups, and clerks tapping furiously on keyboards as if solving national crises. Mano walked in with the confidence of someone who had once cross-examined High Court judges.
At the front counter, a junior officer eyed him. "Sir, RTI application for what matter?"
Mano handed over three filled forms.
1. RTI Request to Revenue Department – All mutations and land transfers of Plot 4B from 2002 to 2023.
2. RTI to District Registrar – Signatures and thumbprint verification logs.
3. RTI to National Informatics Centre (NIC) – Server logs for digital entries tied to Arumugam Construction.
The clerk blinked. "You filed it digitally also?"
Mano smirked. "Filed, time-stamped, and emailed to appellate authority. I don't trust paper alone anymore."
> [Lex System Update: RTI Filed – Tier 2]
Response Timeline: 30 Days
RTI Auto-Alert Triggered to Media + Legal Watchdogs
New Skill Unlocked: Public Record Analysis – Level 1
Ability: Detect minor discrepancies in government forms and registry records
---
Meanwhile – District Registrar's Office
In a darkened room, Tehsildar Dhasarathan, a thin man with greasy hair and a sharp tongue, read the RTI applications with rising panic. He tossed them onto the table.
"This fellow's serious," he muttered.
One of Arumugam's aides entered. "Sir, should we just deny the records?"
"No," Dhasarathan said coldly. "If we deny, it'll lead to a PIL. The court will demand the originals. We need to… lose the records."
The aide looked worried. "Digital ones too?"
"Yes. Corrupt the NIC log trail. I know a man in Chennai."
---
Later That Evening – Salem Law College Campus
Mano's old mentor, Professor Rajalakshmi, adjusted her spectacles as she reviewed his RTI filings.
"Strongly worded. Cited Supreme Court rulings on public interest. Very nice," she said. "But you'll need to move quickly. They won't just sit idle."
"I know. I need a backup plan if the RTI records vanish."
She nodded. "File a PIL with anticipatory contentions. Argue that you expect deliberate destruction of evidence. Make the court act before the records vanish."
Mano's eyes widened. "Pre-emptive PIL…"
> [Lex System Suggestion: PIL Template Activated]
Title: Request for Preservation of Digital and Manual Land Records – Public Interest
Auto-Attachments: RTI proofs, land maps, revenue circulars, precedent judgments
Filing Status: 80% Complete
Mano typed in the remaining details and digitally filed the PIL with Madras High Court's e-system.
---
Next Day – High Court Notification
News broke across Tamil legal circles:
"Advocate Mano Kanagaraj files PIL against Salem Revenue Office – Seeks Preservation of Land Records tied to MLA."
> [Lex System Update: Public Pressure – 75%]
Notice Served to Revenue Office. Files Locked for Audit.
Mano stood silently outside the Collector's Office, watching officers scramble. For once, he wasn't chasing them—they were running from the law.
---
Meanwhile – Outskirts of Salem
Ramasamy coughed violently as a flashlight blinded him. His hands were tied to a wooden chair inside a remote godown.
Thennavan squatted in front of him, chewing paan, red stains dripping from his lip.
"Old man. You're too valuable to kill, but too dangerous to release. So, we'll wait."
Ramasamy's eyes, though battered and swollen, still burned with something fierce.
"You'll all hang… law won't spare you."
Thennavan smiled.
"We'll see whose law wins."