Lal Bhatia’s debut work, work with a purpose – Indicting Goliath, is a non-fictional autobiography (not complete) by him. Published in the year 2018, the book has got great attention from the readers within as well as outside India. Indicting Goliath is about ‘uncovering’ the seamy truths that the USA doesn’t want to be uncovered. Lal Bhatia, the protagonist of the story, was imprisoned in the USA for the reasons of money laundering and doing wrongs with the funds of a company that he was supposed to handle. However, according to Mr Bhatia himself, he was trapped by a certain Mr Wig and then trialled and persecuted unfairly by the authorities and unjustly denied justice by the Department of Justice, USA. So, the work is about demanding justice and throwing hard facts on the face of the USA.

Before we get into the content of the book, let’s have an idea of it. Many book reviewers and popular book review websites in India have rated the book high and have shown their wills to stand with the author. The book is almost like a literary battle out of the courts – a person turning into an author to let the world know the injustice that he has suffered.

The book opens with the preface in which Mr Bhatia argues his case and then goes into the background. The author hints his readers, in a rather factual and at times (a slow-moving narrative) in an authoritative way about the development of certain individuals who were interested in laundering funds in illegal ways. Bank of Credit & Commerce International is one thing which remains in the light most of the times in the first part of the book which sets the premise on which the book moves ahead in the latter part.

In the second as well as the last part of the book, Lal Bhatia argues his case and tries to offer the readers an insight into the betrayal and subterfuge that he had to undergo being allied with these ‘crooks’ who landed him in trouble and eventually in prison. Factual, with proofs that cannot be refuted (as per the author) and also with court orders and citings, Lal Bhatia tries to corner the various authorities of the USA and he succeeds to a great extent in doing so. He proves that what he told the investigating as well as the justice authorities was right and there was a case of money laundering of more than a billion dollar. However, instead of tightening their grip over the real criminals, the judges and the FBI officials kept themselves busy with keeping Lal in prison and torturing him to the time he accepts the wrongdoings that he did not do… well, this is a sorry state of the corruption in the USA and Lal Bhatia argues against it vehemently.

To be honest, the book is for the readers who are grown up and have an idea (at least a naive one) of justice, crime and the nexus that exists between injustice and the justice-delivering authorities. If someone with not a very keen interest in these abstract ideas tries to read this book, he or she might be in a fix! On the other hand, for the organisations and the individuals who are working to get justice in the favour of the needy, Indicting Goliath can certainly be a very advance proof and a case to argue forcefully! The language and narrative are the only things that can be critically approached in this book – and they both are well-balanced and so far so good… You can get a copy of this book by visiting the Amazon link below:

Buy Lal’s book – Click here

review by Sanjit for BooksToRead