Santosh

Santosh Saini visits the police headquarters to claim her late husband’s pension and is unexpectedly appointed as a constable under a compassionate recruitment scheme. She begins her new role in a rural town, stepping into a position she never imagined. This formal appointment marks the start of her frontline duty and the clash with local bureaucracy.

While on duty, Santosh overhears a Dalit man describing the disappearance of his 15-year-old daughter, Devika Pippal, two days earlier. He explains how the police ignored his previous reports and begged for someone to listen. Her concern is ignited by the sense that justice is slipping away for the marginalized.

Santosh urges the Dalit man to file a fresh complaint and accompanies him to the police station. They are mockingly disregarded by officers who doubt the case will yield results. The scene exposes the bias and apathy toward marginalized communities in the local force.

The next day, a protest forms in front of the police station as villagers demand accountability. Santosh discovers Devika's corpse among the crowd and learns she had been raped, murdered, and dumped in a well in a Dalit village. The grieving parents refuse to leave until justice is served, and the authorities abruptly disperse the protesters. Santosh later ferries the body to the morgue at her own expense, drawing wider media attention.

Santosh, Inspector Geeta Sharma, and other officers travel to the Dalit village to begin the investigation. Devika’s parents reveal she was last seen at dawn fetching water. Santosh finds Devika’s cellphone and reads messages with Saleem indicating he was headed to Mumbai, which she reports to Geeta that evening.

Santosh visits the village chief’s house to learn that Saleem and his father were working on the chief’s farm but had left days earlier. She corners Saleem’s friend at a cricket match, who eventually texts the city where Saleem is staying.

Santosh and Geeta plan to arrest Saleem in the city where he is staying. Geeta is called away by an emergency, so Santosh pursues the case alone for a day. They arrest Saleem in the evening and report to the commissioner, who suggests holding Saleem near his house after a visiting politician, Beniwal.

In an abandoned house, the police severely beat and torture Saleem during interrogations, including waterboarding. Santosh is handed a paddle and participates in the beating, before suffering a panic attack as the pressure mounts.

Santosh cannot sleep and is given a sleeping pill by Geeta, who mentions that Saleem is dead. Santosh wonders if Saleem was innocent, but Geeta hints that confirming innocence would not help Devika’s family. She secretly checks Saleem’s smartphone and discovers he was in Mumbai on the day Devika died, implying he could not have killed her.

The team circulates the tale that Saleem died by hanging, but Geeta privately warns that autopsy results will eventually reveal Santosh’s responsibility. The implication is a looming cover-up that strains trust within the police and between investigators and Devika’s family.

Santosh returns to the village chief’s house and learns Devika had entered the well area to fetch water, contaminated by a cat carcass. Beniwal arrives and avoids her questions, while a friend points out that Dalits are not allowed to fetch water from the chief’s well, hinting at complicity and caste bias.

Santosh confronts Geeta at a restaurant, accusing her of knowing Saleem was innocent. Geeta concedes that Saleem’s death has served as a caution to potential rapists, and she reveals Santosh’s suspension by showing the letter.

After visiting the Pippal family, Santosh leaves her police uniform in her quarters and boards an intercity train, signaling a personal decision to step away from the case and the force. The act marks a turning point in her commitment to seeking justice.