Criminal Justice (Indian TV series)

Did You Know?

• The series was released in Hindi and dubbed into Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi languages.
• The official trailer was released on 28 March 2019.
• The series was part of Hotstar Specials, a label for original content.

Plot

The series introduces Aditya Sharma, a cab driver from a middle-class family. After work he plans to meet friends at a pub, but a foul-mouthed woman enters his cab and keeps changing the location, ruining his night. They discover they are alumni of the same college; the woman, later named Shanaya Rath, shows mood swings suggesting drug addiction. Aditya is taken to a police station when a neighbor identifies him as the man seen running from the apartment. Police inspector Raghu Salian finds what they assume is the murder weapon on him. Street-smart advocate Madhav Mishra mistakes Aditya's case for his own and tells Salian he is Aditya's lawyer, then realizes he is handling a murder case. Mishra informs Aditya's parents that their son is accused of murdering and raping Shanaya Rath. Aditya pleads not guilty before a magistrate but is denied bail and placed in police custody for 14 days. He agrees to a narco test, and a selected portion is shown online, leading to public shaming of his taxi company. Aditya's brother-in-law is harassed by recovery agents, his sister loses her job, and the family faces societal ridicule. Salian is determined to prove Aditya guilty. Supreme Court advocate Mandira Mathur becomes the defense lawyer, while Advocate Bhandarkar serves as public prosecutor. Mathur gets the rape charge dropped by proving the encounter was consensual but fails to secure an acquittal. Aditya is asked to sign a plea bargaining agreement, as evidence points to him. Mathur drops the case; her assistant Nikhat takes over and advises Aditya to listen to his heart, leading him to plead not guilty.

Production

In January 2018, Sameer Nair of Applause Entertainment collaborated with BBC Studios to adapt the British series Criminal Justice for Indian audiences. Shridhar Raghavan wrote the screenplay and dialogues. Tigmanshu Dhulia was announced as director in April 2018, marking his digital debut, with Vishal Furia as co-director. Pankaj Tripathi, Vikrant Massey and Jackie Shroff were cast in pivotal roles; Shroff's role marked his digital debut. Principal photography began on 28 April 2018 and concluded in January 2019, mostly in Mumbai. Sets for the prison, police station and Aditya Sharma's family residence were built at Film City, Goregaon East.

Reception

Archika Khurana of The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling the series intriguing and engrossing for most parts. Sanjukta Sharma of Scroll.in wrote that Criminal Justice works because of its story and two central characters. Sana Farzeen of The Indian Express noted that Massey stands out playing a young boy in a grave situation, and Tripathi aces a character with dry humor, recommending the series for crime-drama fans. Rohan Naahar of Hindustan Times rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating the remake relies on its actors, and that Massey, Tripathi and especially Shroff are tremendous. Udita Jhunjhunwala of The Quint found supporting cast members Saraswat, Inamdar, Dwivedi and Roy the most convincing. Parmita Uniyal of India Today said Shroff's performance is a high point, but the show could have stronger impact with shorter episodes and crisper editing.

Sequels

On 13 February 2020, a second installment titled Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors was announced, with Pankaj Saraswat, Raaj Gopal Iyer, Pankaj Tripathi, Anupriya Goenka and Mita Vashisht reprising their roles, and Jisshu Sengupta and Kirti Kulhari joining the cast. It was released on Disney+ Hotstar on 24 December 2020. The third installment, Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach, premiered on 26 August 2022, with Pankaj Tripathi and Shweta Basu Prasad in lead roles. The fourth series, Criminal Justice: A Family Matter, premiered on 30 May 2025.