Pronounced Guilty

PANKAJ GIRI

Author: Monica Singh

Pronounced Guilty primarily revolves around four protagonists – Dushyant, a lawyer pursuing a mission for the establishment of open prisons; Vijender, an ex-convict who Dushyant brings under his wing; Maitreyi, a divorcee and Dushyant’s opponent counsel in the case; and Anusuya, a widow and aged psychologist who eventually joins the mission, offering her expertise. It chronicles the obstacles faced by Dushyant and the other characters during the mission and poses important questions to the readers along the way.

For the first forty pages, I was hooked. The way Vijender is imprisoned for abducting his boss’s daughter, the way he pleads innocence, and the introduction of Anusuya and her adorable relationship with her late husband make for a brilliant start. But then, suddenly, the mystery is solved, and the court case for the mission starts. This development is a bit abrupt but not unexpected since the blurb clearly stated that the mission is the main part of the book.

Meanwhile, Maitreyi is introduced, and the court case scenes are well-written. Ms. Singh’s meticulous research shows, and it is a treat to witness the well-formed, relatable arguments and counterarguments presented by Dushyant and Maitreyi. They beg you to think about the condition of prisons in India and whether open prisons and rehabilitation are necessary. However, despite the interesting arguments, I did notice a slight lowering of the stakes. That’s because this case is not related to a person; it’s about prisoners in general. Which character was I supposed to root for?

I love how Ms. Singh portrays women in her books. I was impressed by this aspect in her previous book ‘The Pause’ as well. The women are strong, and despite the injustice meted out to them and their obvious vulnerabilities, they never shy away from standing up to their oppressors. This makes them relatable and worth rooting for. It is admirable how Anusuya battles her trauma of molestation and gathers strength to serve the mission and how Maitreyi finds the pluck to confront her father. However, I felt that Maitreyi’s confrontation scene could have been even more powerful if the trauma had been built up a bit more in the beginning by showing Maitreyi haunted by it. Even something like a paragraph or two here and there would have worked.

Ms. Singh, through the women’s travails, also succeeds in highlighting deplorable acts like familial molestation and elderly abuse. It is commendable on her part to shed light on these dark social evils.

The second half of the book then proceeds to the main aspect of the mission – the open prisons, the facilities, the programs, and a subplot with a political angle. Although this part is also narrated well, I felt the lack of stakes became more noticeable here, and I found my interest waning occasionally. Then, towards the end, when Anusuya briefly interacted with some prisoners, a realization came to me. What if this case revolved around a prisoner instead, and the story showed how an open prison actually affected him/her and helped him/her rehabilitate? That would have been much more impactful and intimate instead of showing the statistical figures of the number of prisoners that this mission helped.

The language is lucid and brilliant, garnished with exquisite wordplay at regular intervals. The descriptions are also vivid and expertly done, but sometimes, in certain dialogues, I felt the wordplay could have been toned down to make the dialogues sound more natural. But I am nitpicking here. Ms. Singh is a brilliant writer possessing an extensive vocabulary.

The ending is well done, and all loose ends are tied up well. When I finished the book, I felt as if I had read an important, well-researched non-fiction that makes you reflect deeply on the current state of prisons, the mental health of prisoners, and the imperative need for prisoners’ rehabilitation. I just felt that from a fiction point of view, it needed a slightly different approach to make it feel more wholesome and captivating.