Delhi Crime Season 3: Emmy-nominated series Delhi Crime is back on Netflix with its third season, and fans cannot get enough of ‘Madam Sir’. Portrayed by the Darlings star Shefali Shah, she returns in her cop element, solving yet another heart-wrenching mystery of the capital. Shooting to fame after the powerful portrayal of the intensely disturbing Nirbhaya rape case, the Richie Mehta directorial became one of India’s most popular OTT shows.
It was followed by a collaboration between Delhi Crime Season 3 director Tanuj Chopra and Mehta with the second season in 2022. Tracking down the ‘Kachcha Baniyan’ gang of Delhi that used to target vulnerable senior citizens in the 1990s, it was based on Neeraj Kumar’s book ‘Khaki Files’. But with the newest season releasing on the OTT platform today, here’s a deep dive into the real Baby Falak case that harrowed Delhi in the cold winter of January 2012.
All about The Baby Falak Case
It all started when a fourteen-year-old girl walked into the AIIMS Trauma Centre. With her was a toddler covered in severe bruises and unfathomable injuries. The young child had a fractured skull, blood clots in the brain, multiple broken bones, and other visually disturbing wounds. The teen herself had been exposed to severe child abuse, human trafficking, and extreme negligence.
Since the report involved minors, the hospital had to report it to the police. On further investigation, it was found that the fourteen-year-old was not the biological mother of Baby Falak, highlighting how it was a deeper problem than child abuse. The toddler had gone through several traumatic incidents and was separated from her biological mother, Munni, who was tricked into a second marriage. 27, Munni hailed from Rajasthan and was lured by Lakshi and Kanti to go ahead with the marriage under pretences. She was promised that her child, Falak, would be cared for. Instead, they were secretly separated, leaving them both alone to suffer in the trafficking cycle.
Falak, going through a series of caregivers, ended up with a teenager who reportedly mishandled Falak and was eventually abused by Rajkumar, aka Mohammad Dilshad. Munni, herself a victim of the treacherous cycle of abuse, was legally scrutinised for abandoning her children
Over the course of the investigation, ten people were arrested, and a horrifying reality came forward. Rajkumar, the primary suspect was reportedly a taxi driver from Bihar, who abused both Falak and her teen caregiver. Pooja and Sandeep Pandey were also named for forcing the teenage girl into acts she did not consent to. Pratima, Laxmi, Arti, and Kanti were a part of the trafficking ring – all arrested and acquitted for their involvement. The major targeted areas of this ring involved Munirka, Sangam Vihar, and other outskirt areas.
Baby Falak eventually succumbed to the grave condition she was brought in. In March, she suffered a cardiac arrest and came to be known as the ‘miracle baby’. The case became a true mirror into the dark realities of child welfare in India and the hollow effort to tackle abuse and trafficking.
Delhi Crime Season 3: Cast and more
Delhi Crime Season 3, starring Shefali Shah and Huma Qureshi in lead roles. Rasika Duggal and Rajesh Tailang return as ‘Madam Sir’s subordinates. On the other side of law are Sayani Gupta, Mita Vashisht, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Kelly Dorji, bringing in a new and dark energy throughout the 13 episodes
Standing on opposite sides of the law, Shah and Qureshi battle the unsettling realities of crime in Delhi that still haunt the minds of many women and children.