Hyderabad, September  2025: Acclaimed true-crime writer, and the author of the Vikram Rana Mystery series, Sharmishtha Shenoy unveiled her new book, Candle in the Wind, at the State Gallery of Art, Madhapur, today. The book presents a moving collection of true crime inspired stories from the Hyderabad Police case files that uncover crimes against women. Chief Guest on the occasion, Ms. Shikha Goel, IPS, DG & Director – Telangana Cyber Security Bureau & Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL); graced the event and unveiled the book amidst a gathering of dignitaries and literary enthusiasts. 

‘Candle in the Wind’ features five compelling stories drawn from real cases of

• The Kidnapping of Baby Ishitha – maternal longing spirals into a desperate crime.
• Innocence Robbed – the trauma of child sexual abuse and a family’s fight for justice.
• Unrequited Love – a courtroom thriller about obsession and toxic masculinity.
• In the Name of the Children – abandoned girls betrayed by institutions meant to protect them.
• I Will Never Let You Go – a chilling account of a teenager’s murder and her mother’s quest for justice.

These stories not only expose horrific crimes but also highlight systemic failures, cultural silences, and the role of law enforcement and society in responding to violence.

Speaking on the occasion Ms. Shikha Goel, said, “Sharmishtha Shenoy approached me a couple of years ago, wanting to write about some of our cases, I was a bit skeptical, as these cases relate to women and children and we are extremely protective about it, we are bound by the law against revealing the names, also these incident are too personal for them, therefore I wasn’t really sure about sharing these with an outsider for the department. After a couple of interactions with her, I realized her intention probably was good, but bringing out these stories and giving them life, may serve a larger purpose. We basically become insensitive to crime while reading and watching the crime stories in media. Therefore, I thought if these stories can be brought out in a sensitive manner, which I realized she has an understanding and empathy and believed that she could portray in a manner that she doesn’t sensationalize. Often the way crime is projected, the entire sensitivity of the crime is lost and becomes more of a melodrama then the actual incident. We tend to forget there is a life behind every case, there is a family which gets destroyed, there is a person whose future is shattered and that kind of sensitivity in these days of breaking news is lost. Then I thought it’s a good idea to bring them to life and that is how this book came into being. When she asked me to write a foreword to the book and I went through it, it really touched me bringing back so many memories of all those cases which I personally handled, brought in host of emotions, emotions of sadness, grief, anger, as well as emotion of yes there is something which still needs to be done. This reinforced in me the desire to keep working and try and do whatever at my level and by my team and help out such victims in distress. Most of our initiatives are designed to make the journey of the victims a little more easier, to prevent any revictimization which might happen. It was a reminder to us that in Telangana we have done a lot, but still there is lot more to be done. Also, that the protection of women or children is not something which the police can do on its own, it is to be a collective responsibility of each one of us in the society. In the society the trust circles are broken day in and day out, we often don’t realise the trauma behind it from the news item we read. As an officer, I and my team have to keep all our emotions aside, so that when we are investigating the crime in the right manner, we can’t be emotional about it. We have to be extremely fair to everyone in the picture, it doesn’t mean these things 

don’t affect us. Often it’s difficult to investigate such sensitive cases, imagine asking a 4-year-old child, to explain how she was molested, many of the victims aren’t sensitive to the crime at that age. That’s where the Bharosa team of Telangana police has done excellent job. Merely reading the stories here and forgetting about them, doesn’t serve the purpose. The aim of this book should be to ensure reading this becomes a call for action, should prick our conscious and should make us think rather than forget like we do after seeing a crime on OTT platform. It should make us to take action at our own level to see that safety of women is not something which is just lectured from stage but is practiced in our daily lives. It’s time for a girl looking over her shoulder should end and that starts from our home, from our education institutes, that should become a way of life for all of us. Therefore, I hope this book remains on our bedside table and help us to bring back our sensitivities to such issues.           

Ms. Shikha Goel and her team at the Hyderabad police investigated these cases and delivered justice showing that the rule of law holds. While the law takes its course, the society needs transformation, and we need to raise our voices when we see injustice. This book is a step in that direction to spread awareness. It gives hope to those who fear that society will look down on them if they speak up and gain confidence that their complaints will not fall on deaf ears, says the author of the book Sharmishtha Shenoy. “

Prof. T. Vijay Kumar said, “this is a kind of a book which should make you feel worried and actually depress you, as they are based on real life stories. However, Sharmishtha Shenoy has the skill to turn what everybody reads every day in newspapers columns but doesn’t really think too much about it, to convert those one-centimeter news item into a full-fledged narrative, obviously requires writerly skill, which Sharmishtha Shenoy has. This book makes us realise what actually lies behind those half inch news items in a newspaper. Unfortunately, those are so many and so often, that in a way we have become insensitive to those incidents be it child molestation, or other crimes against women and children.”    

Ms. Shikha Goel, IPS, DG & Director – Telangana Cyber Security Bureau & Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), “wrote the foreword for the book and delivered the keynote address, emphasizing awareness, empathy, and collective responsibility for women’s safety. A panel discussion between Ms. Shikha Goel and Ms. Sharmishtha Shenoy, moderated by Prof. Usha Raman, University of Hyderabad and Director, HLF, on the motivations behind the book and women & children safety in society, followed the unveiling.”

Ms. K. Satyavathi of Bhumika Women’s Collective (NGO) and Dr. Mamatha Raghuveer Achanta, Advocate & Social Activist, Trainer, Technical Partner, Bharosa centres and Director, Tharuni were felicitated for their outstanding contribution to women empowerment and survivor support.

Other prominent guests to speak at the event on women empowerment were Prof. T. Vijay Kumar, BITS Pilani and Director, HLF; Prof. Usha Raman, University of Hyderabad and Director, HLF and Mr. Kingshuk Nag, Former Editor, The Times of India.

Candle in the Wind, is more than a book; it is a call to action. By documenting these stories with sensitivity and empathy, Sharmishtha Shenoy hopes to spark meaningful conversations around women’s safety and inspire collective efforts toward justice and reform.

The event is presented by Rupa Publications, the publisher of Candle in the Wind and The Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF).