It’s a 17-second video that everyone following the investigation into the death of Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal has probably seen. The accused, Siya Goyal, flashes the media the middle finger while being escorted by police from her residence where they took her to recover the clothes she had allegedly worn on the day Ketan died at Lohagarh Fort. The gesture lasts barely a second, but it was enough to send social media into a predictable frenzy. Outrage, condemnation and opinion arrived long before the courts ever will.
I have spent enough years in newsrooms, assigning photographers and covering events myself, to know exactly what that gesture means. It is offensive, crude and universally understood. Public figures have used it in anger when cameras invade their privacy. It is an expression of frustration, contempt or defiance. But this felt different. Not because of Siya’s gesture itself. Because of what I noticed after it. Watching the clip again, I found my attention drifting away from the raised finger. It settled instead on her eyes.
As a rookie journalist covering courts and crime, I spent hours in police stations, lock-ups and court corridors. I watched accused men being brought in for remand, standing in the dock, or being led away after conviction. Some had committed murders so brutal that their faces have never quite left me. Among them was Raman Raghav, the notorious serial killer whose crimes cast a long shadow over Mumbai. There were others less infamous, but equally chilling to encounter at close quarters.
I am not suggesting Siya Goyal is like those men. Nor do I claim to know what was going through her mind. A video lasting 17 seconds cannot reveal a person’s inner life, and guilt or innocence is determined in a courtroom, not on social media. Yet something about that expression transported me back to those corridors I walked as a young reporter. Perhaps it was the stillness. Perhaps it was the absence of any visible emotion. Or perhaps memory has a way of recognising things that reason alone cannot explain.
I may be entirely wrong. A single frame can mislead, and a face caught in a fraction of a second can tell a false story. That is why journalists report facts and courts decide guilt. But I cannot dismiss what I felt when I paused that video. Like everyone else, I saw the raised middle finger. What stayed with me, however, was the look in the eyes behind it. And after all these years, it reminded me of faces I had hoped never to remember again.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him in the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward in a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work.
About Story of Souls
Leave your comments on how you like this story. If you love it, share it to bring that change we wish to see in the world.
You can also share your inspiring story with us at submitstories.storyofsouls@gmail.com. Story of Souls is an initiative where we invite people to bring their stories to us. We want people to “write to heal.” The idea of Storyofsouls is appreciated by ALL INDIA RADIO. An Online Platform where you can share your real-life stories. The impact of our stories has reached the UN and Harvard University. For some real-life stories, web series are also planned. You can also visit our YouTube channel. You can follow us on Facebook LinkedIn Instagram.
Storyofsouls is glad to inform you that we are now a Google News-verified platform.
We are proud to inform you all that storyofsouls.com is the official TEDx MotiJheel Kanpur Partner for their upcoming event.
