The Stoneman Murders

The Stoneman claims his fifth victim while the Bombay police show little interest in the case. The authorities seem content to let the pattern go unchecked. Suspended sub-inspector Sanjay Shelar sees an opportunity to prove himself by taking the case into his own hands.

Sanjay secures secret backing from his patronizing superior AIG Satam to pursue the killer without formal legal help. He turns to Kamble, a trusted aide constable, and asks him to join the private inquiry. Kamble's personal life is unsettled as his wife has run away.

Inspector Kedar Phadke, the official investigator, clashes constantly with Sanjay. They pursue the case from opposite angles and often work at cross-purposes. The city becomes a battleground of competing theories and egos.

Ghanshu, Sanjay's informer, tells him about Mohammed, a midnight cab driver suspected of being the Stoneman. Ghanshu is eventually murdered on the footpath by the killer. The ominous pattern of killings on the streets begins to emerge.

The Stoneman stalks people sleeping on the roads, including beggars, workers, and sweepers. He kills them with ritual-like brutality. On a close call, the killer tries to strike a beggar but is stopped by Kedar and a patrolling unit.

Kedar sees Sanjay and starts to suspect him of involvement. The Stoneman visits Sanjay’s private investigation room, leaving vermilion smeared around the space. He also learns that Mohammed has fled the city.

Sanjay contemplates possible danger to his wife, Manali, and urges her to leave for her village. He tries to shield her from the danger as the case tightens around him. The worry strains their relationship but underscores his personal stake.

At a railway station, the Stoneman again tries to kill a roadside man. Before he can capture him, Kedar and his team arrive and shoot Sanjay in the thigh, mistaking him for the killer. Sanjay escapes and is tended to by his wife Manali.

Sanjay goes into hiding and intensively researches the case. He concludes the killer may be a policeman from the Kusumi Tribe who uses tantric rites requiring human sacrifices. He passes his findings and evidence to AIG Satam via Kamble.

Sanjay learns Mohammed was a decoy deployed by Kedar to roam the streets. Kamble, his ally, is revealed to be the Stoneman. The revelation reframes the entire investigation as Sanjay braces for a lethal confrontation.

The police trap Kamble in a hospital, where he attempts to kill Sanjay but is nabbed. Satam and Phadke decide to hush up the case to avoid scandal. Kamble is shot and buried in the jungle by Sanjay on Satam’s orders, ending his police life.

A tantric in Kamble’s village performs a ritual, calling for nine human sacrifices and planning more killings in Calcutta. The narrative ends showing murders in Bombay in 1983 and Calcutta in 1987, suggesting a wider network of fear and ritual violence.