Greenstone Lobo, Howzzat?, (Readomania, 2019) is an interesting read. It is not enough to state that Mr. Lobo, over time, has predicted several times correctly. He has been writing a regular column on sports astrology, ‘Octozone’, in the popular Indian daily, DNA, since 2008. He has also been a columnist for Anandabazar Patrika, The Times of India, Mumbai Mirror, The Telegraph, Life […]
Read more "Sports and Astrology"Anirban Bhattacharya, The Deadly Dozen – India’s Most Notorious Serial Killers, (Penguin, 2019) has been praised by John Abraham, Ayushmann Khurana, Kiran Rao and correctly so, possesses several Bollywood references. The following is an excerpt from a lesser-known territory. “The Poona of 1976 did not boast of any major, horrific crimes. Life seemed perfect in […]
Read more "The 1976 Poona"Amitav Ghosh, Gun Island, (Penguin, 2019) is a remarkable read. It travels through time, space and thoughts. If you do not let yourself completely in, the best bits shall go unnoticed. Like there are dreams within dreams, at Gun Island, there are stories within stories. Written simply, detailed subtly, this one is a must read. […]
Read more "Gun Island"My Lord, Courts should interpret the Constitution as it would have been understood by ordinary, reasonable citizens alive at the time the Constitution was enacted or Courts should interpret the Constitution as a living organism, one meant to evolve to suit the changing needs and values of contemporary society? A standing-room-only crowd of law students and […]
Read more "The Nature of Judicial Power: Hon’ble Justice Antonin G. Scalia"Patrick Anthony Howard ‘Paddy’ Upton is famous for his powers of mental conditioning and coaching sportsmen. The following is an excerpt from Paddy Upton, The Barefoot Coach, (Westland Sport, 2019). “It is worth having a conversation about the concept of ‘mental toughness’, which is currently the most overused and least understood concept in sports […]
Read more "Mental Toughness in Sports and Life"Sacred Games, Season 1 (2018, dir. Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane) was showcased by Netflix in June, 2018. Writ Petition (Civil) No. 7123 of 2018 was filed before Delhi High Court against Sacred Games soon after. One word used in Episode 4: ‘Brahmahatya‘ deserved correction. It remains unchanged. 09.04.2018 – Writ Petition (Civil) No. 7123 of […]
Read more "Sacred Games"“The idea for this book took shape during a seminar course that I taught at NSLIU, Bengaluru in January, 2015 and the NUJS, Kolkata in June, 2016. This book advances Justice Vivian Bose’s vision of the Constitution, a vision that understood both the historical monument of framing, and the Constitution itself, as fundamentally transformative. But […]
Read more "The Transformative Constitution"Fredda Brilliant was brilliant, indeed. Thus, her art adorns Supreme Court of India.Freda or Fredda?Dear Lord. “One afternoon the sculptress, Freda Brilliant, and her husband, Herbert Marshall, dropped in to see me. She came in with open arms, pouring out a stream of endearments. ‘Darling, darling Khushy! How are you?’ They had been to an […]
Read more "Fredda Brilliant Marshall"The Detective Diaries is a continuation of his first book, Murder in the City. Discerning readers will spot changes in investigative techniques. I wish you a thrilling literary journey ahead. – Rajeev Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Kolkata [20/12/2018]. _____ At various stages of writing, I have received invaluable help from colleagues, past and present, for […]
Read more "Tiny Habits of Police Investigation"Books on Constitutional Law are on Judges, Lawyers, occasionally on Politicians. Judges are the central actors, not actual litigants / histories of the disputes. The central actor in Rohit De, A People’s Constitution, (Princeton University Press, 2018) is the citizen litigant; private interests assumes public significance. We rarely meet those who have at least, at […]
Read more "The Case of the Honest Prostitute"It was decided. 8 December, 1930 would be ‘Operation Simpson Day’. The journey began at 12:00 in the afternoon. Three Men sat in a taxi and headed for the Writers Building. One of them had his birthday < 50 hours ago. The last ride together. [File No. 59/19/30] 12:30. Cap, coat, tie, trousers, boots – […]
Read more "December 8, 1930"The Recent Elevations to The Supreme Court of 7 Judges is interesting. None of them shall be The Chief Justice of India after Hon’ble Justice Dr. Chandrachud. Seniority is neither based on age nor on experience. It is purely accidental. The following is an extract from A.R. Antulay, Appointment of a Chief Justice, (Popular Prakashan, […]
Read more "Appointment of a Chief Justice"The Chief Guest at the Inaugural Function on 27.10.2018 was Hon’ble Justice Rajendra Menon, Chief Justice, Del HC. The Chief Guest at the Valedictory Function on 28.10.2018 was Hon’ble Justice R.K. Agrawal, Former SC Judge and President, NCDRC. The ‘Moot Proposition’ was drafted by Mr. Ravi Prakash, Advocate, Supreme Court of India. The Proposition [Abridged] […]
Read more "Fourth Prof. N.R. Madhava Menon SAARCLAW Mooting Competition [India Round], 2018-19"‘Yes?’ It was the Lover of the Century, Raghu. ‘You have to leave this Girl. It’s been too long.’ ‘I am so over her.’ 5 WhatsApp Messages, Zara Lone: ‘It’s my birthday. I hope you remember.’ 9th February. ‘This is insane,’ Saurabh kept chanting. ‘Ready?’ I said, putting on my helmet. ___ Victim is Zara […]
Read more "The Zara Lone Case"An excellent book. I have chosen to extract the following two paragraphs: Page 131: “It was a period when Ricky Ponting’s team believed that every loss was an ‘upset’ and not just a win for their opponents. India had dominated this particular match from the beginning. Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan had gathered nine […]
Read more "Shanthakumaran Sreesanth I"Mr. Navtej Sarna’s Son is talented. I have had the opportunity to witness him in college. Mr. Navtej Sarna is an ‘Indian Author-Columnist, Diplomat, Indian Ambassador to the United States’. His son, Satyajit, recently published a Book of Poetry: “The Profane”. Here are a few of my favorite four lines: “But, if you believe you […]
Read more "The Profane"Chess has been represented, or shall I say misrepresented, as a game – that is, a thing which could not well serve a serious purpose, solely created for the enjoyment of an empty hour. If it were a game only, Chess would never have survived the serious trials to which it has, during the long […]
Read more "A Man of Reason and Logic"“In the midst of Ripon’s Viceroyalty, in 1882, for the first time in the history of colonial India, an Indian Judge, Romesh Chunder Mitter, was appointed to act as Chief Justice of The Calcutta High Court, when Chief Justice Sir Richard Garth went on leave. It would take another few decades for an Indian, Badruddin […]
Read more "An Independent Colonial Judiciary"“Read, Read for now I shall say a lot. The evidence of my battle fought. The only way I shall make you learn, I tried a lot when it was my turn.” Hon’ble CJI Dipak Misra shall retire in less than 30 days. His words on word-craft shall be remembered too as his ‘last words’. […]
Read more "Pragmatic Realism v. Romantic Idealism v. Recluse Extremism"Additional Commissioner of Police (III) Shri Supratim Sarkar’s efforts, translated in English, is nothing short of brilliant. He can either be e-mailed at addlcp3@kolkatapolice.gov.in or called on 033-22143970. There are several who enquire, why do some prefer watching/reading stories on crime; are they criminals themselves or are they learning how to protect/investigate/solve? I remember the ‘coin […]
Read more "The Closet Killer"