Tales of Crimes Past: A casebook of crime in colonial India by Sunil Nair

To generalize an observation made by the eminent social psychologist Ashis Nandy, a crime is actually the outcome of a compact between the perpetrator and the victim. The incidents narrated by Nair in this, his debut book, drawn as much from his encyclopedic knowledge of colonial history as from his meticulous research, provide evidence, if such was necessary, for Nandy’s assertion. A victim patiently waiting to be poisoned, in full knowledge of the perpetrator’s intent is a case in point. Delivery of justice on the other hand needs the collaboration of numerous players- the complainant, the investigating officer, witnesses, approver if any, and the judiciary. Even in the best of times, perjury, withdrawn confessions, partisan investigators, combine with plain and simple incompetence, and bureaucratic delays, to impede the delivery of justice. Add to this the element of racism, uneven application of laws, or the need to whittle down an investigation to protect the reputation of a bit player, when the latter is white, or is a crucial prop to the larger politics of the colonial empire- the delivery of justice can become incredibly complex. The incidents narrated in this book cover the entire gamut of this complexity, and make for interesting reading. We hope that the author follows up on this effort.