Vigyani-Part 14

Episode 14:

The turn of events had upset Krishnan and his men. Actually, Krishnan thought after the acid contamination charge Raman would have fallen from grace and he and his men could take charge of the machine,copy it and send the drawings with photos to the private firm in Mumbai. But, the Government's fast action in sealing the machine and posting the constables for security had put paid to his plans.

He still made an attempt and approached the village chief as he had found him to be the key figure. He introduced himself and said to him,' Raman and myself were colleagues in Mumbai and very close friends. After the demise of his grandfather, Raman had become aloof and withdrawn. He used to talk to himself and utter 'machine to convert air into water'. I was actually working on the machine and so Raman latched on to me and learnt all the secrets. I did not mind it as I pitied him and he used to tell that he wanted to erect the machines in your village to solve the water problem. As I am also from this region, I welcomed it also. But, our laboratory chief and other committee members who have to approve the machine did not approve on the grounds that it requires still lot of tests. Raman got upset and went and broke the machine and other equiments to pieces injuring himself in the process. We admitted him in a clinic where the doctor found that he had become mentally sick and had violent tempers. He even had him chained to the bed. But, somehow he escaped and came here. I had posted an advertisement to warn you people, but somehow he had impressed you. It is no surprise to me that the water got acid contamination. It is because Raman does not know fully about the machine. My humble request to you is to allow us to look at the machine so that we can repair it and you can get pure water'.

All along while Krishnan was talking the village chief thought ' where is Raman and whre is this fellow? Crookedness is written all over him. Raman is innocent and these rascals have tried to stop him or steal the machine from him for their ulterior motive'. So, he said,' don't worry sir, the matter is under CBI investigationand so I cannot allow you to go near the machine. We have a saying that thousand hands may stand blocking but the sun cannot be hidden'. Krishnan and his men returned disappointed and were sulking about the whole episode.

Government took fast action as elections were nearing and CBI committee started its investigation. After questioning several people in the village about their knowledge connected with machine, they tracked down Krishnan and his men and interrogated them thouroughly. After a week the team of CBI went to Chennai and met Raman who was under police custody. Raman was thankful to the police for the decent way in which they treated him giving him proper food, beddings, fan, books to read, mobile phone etc.

The CBI officer asked Raman about someone met him immeditely after the machine started operating. Raman thought for a while and remembered a person who came introducing himself as the local health inspector. It just dawned to Raman how the acid contamination might have happened. The person who posed as health inspector insisted that they do chlorination of water for purification. Although Raman had installed Ultra Violet lamp giving radiation to purify, he did not want to stop the person as he did not doubt him. What actually had happend was the person, one of Krishnan's stooges, had added chlorine at the inlet of the machine where air is being sucked. Since the machine produces Hydrogen the Chlorine had combined with it to form Hydrochloric acid and got mixed with water. There was a scientist in the CBI team who agreed with Raman's explanations and the next day Government accepted CBI report and released Raman.

To be concluded.....