The Youngest Suspect

Author(s): Peggy Mohan

Location(s): Gujarat

Genre(s): Fiction

Era(s): Early 21st Century

2002. The communal pogrom that indelibly altered the course of Gujarat. Set in the tense post-riots years, The Youngest Suspect is the story of Adil and, yes, of Gujarat. Adil and seventeen other young men are arrested in Ahmedabad, and charged with terrorism. There are written confessions on record. Enter Deepa, linguist and subtle thrill-seeker. She is enlisted by Adil’s lawyer, the fiery Ramya, to discredit those confessions. Peggy Mohan brings to bear her rigorous research into ‘POTA trials’ – of those charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act – to tell a story that is, simultaneously, tragic and redemptive. A courtroom thriller and a love story, and a vivid portrait of family and friends ranged against the darkness that is clouding their once-ordinary lives, The Youngest Suspect lays bare the underbelly of a world where ‘home’ has very little meaning.

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