Crime Literature Festival of India Brings Law, Literature and Cinema Together in Dehradun

The third edition of the Crime Literature Festival of India (CLFI) concluded in Dehradun after three days of intense dialogue and reflection on crime, justice and society, bringing together an eminent and diverse group of voices.

Festival Overview
- Edition: Third annual CLFI.
- Organizers: Doon Cultural and Literary Society (DCLS).
- Venue: Hyatt Centric, Dehradun.
- Focus: India’s only festival dedicated entirely to crime as a genre—exploring law, justice, policing, cinema, media, and literature.

Eminent Participants
- Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd.) – inaugurated the festival, describing crime as a reflection of inner human conflict.
- Filmmaker Ketan Mehta – spoke on crime as cinema’s most compelling theme.
- Festival Chairman Ashok Kumar (former DGP Uttarakhand) – emphasized CLFI’s unique role in addressing issues like land frauds, drug abuse, cybercrime, and women’s safety.
- Festival Director Aloke Lal (former DG Uttarakhand) – highlighted the platform’s ability to examine both real and fictional crime.
- Other notable voices: Amod Kanth, Neeraj Kumar, Anil Raturi, Justice R.K. Gauba, Zeishan Quadri, Tridha Choudhury, Anuritta Jha, and leading journalists, authors, and cyber experts.

Key Themes & Sessions
- Crime in Cinema: Realism, dark humour, and regional narratives (Zeishan Quadri, Amit Khan).
- Crime Reporting & Media Trials: Discussions on sensationalism and declining credibility.
- Cybercrime: Experts warned about deepfakes, digital arrests, and psychological manipulation.
- Juvenile Justice: Amod Kanth and Anil Raturi stressed rehabilitation over punishment, noting juvenile crime is less than 1% of cases.
- Women & Crime: Trauma, systemic failures, and access to justice.
- National Security: Terrorism, intelligence coordination, and technology in warfare.
- Faith & Fraud: How crimes exploit spirituality, with calls to distinguish genuine belief from organized deception.
- Literature & History: Sessions on pulp fiction, mythology, and “Fiction as History” (e.g., Bose vs Nehru).

New Initiatives
- Launch of Swarn Kataar Award – India’s largest crime writing honour, announced by publisher Randhir K. Arora.
- Mission Saudi – unveiling of India’s first-ever extradition of a rape accused, discussed by Aloke Lal and Maanas Lal.

Closing Note
The festival concluded with a collective resolve to expand CLFI’s reach, positioning it as a nationally significant platform bridging lived experience with storytelling, and deepening public understanding of crime, justice, and society.