R.A.W. Hitman: The Real Story of Agent Lima-S. Hussain Zaidi

Book: R.A.W. Hitman: The Real Story of Agent Lima
Author: S. Hussain Zaidi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster India

I was provided a Media Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

In September 2011, the double murder of gangsters Raju Pargai and Amit Arya rocked the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Pargai, who was well on his way to becoming a national security threat by smuggling weapons into India, had risen up the ranks of criminals quickly – but that also made him the target of Indian intelligence agencies, which then ordered the covert assassin named 'Agent Lima' to put him down. The day after the murder, Laxman ‘Lucky’ Bisht – an NSG commando who had also been personal security officer of politicians such as L.K. Advani and then CM of Gujarat, Narendra Modi – was arrested from his home in Haldwani, accused of the double murder. Thereafter begins a tale shrouded in mystery and suspense. Was Agent Lima and Lucky Bisht one and the same person? And if they were not the same person, why did Lucky Bisht languish in prison for more than five years, being transported from jail to jail, his bail application denied, while he was working for the government?

The book is a wonderful blow-by-blow narrative of Lucky Bisht’s trial after being accused of murdering two gangsters in Uttarakhand. True to his style, Zaidi delves deep into the crime and the impact it has on Lucky and those close to him. The writing is interesting and keeps you hooked as you go through Lucky’s life, his training as a commando as well as subtle commentary on changing times as the transitions take place in the political world as well. Zaidi’s forte lies in the research and adding minute details to the story to fill the gaps and this is what he does in this book as well. Not one to mince his words, Zaidi’s writing focuses on the case as well as the psyche of Lucky as he awaits the decision from the court and hobnobs around other criminals, both small-time and big in the jails as he is shunted around. It is a book that would impress any one who loves to read a good true-crime book and is interested on the political scenario. One thing that the book lacks, however, is a round of proofreading and editing as there are glaring typographical errors peppered across the book, specially in the names of the characters and that is where the attention of the reader starts dwindling.

Overall, a wonderful true-crime story of being relentless and that of grit. The book scores a 4/5 for me.

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