Dharampura is a city in modern secular India that is being terrorized and held at ransom by Kali Prasad, a dreaded underworld don, extortionist, who also runs his own courtroom, shielded and protected by the local M.L.A.. He does away with his opponents openly without any fear of being arrested. When Constable Karamveer arrests him, Kali gets himself released the very next day, abducts, rapes, then kills Karamveer's wife, beats him senseless, and eventually leaves him raving mad. When Durga's husband opposes him, he has him killed right in front of his wife and other city folk. When Inspector Ajay Srivastav arrests him and holds him in the lock-up, only to release him as the witness against Kali turns hostile, Ajay is hunted down and killed in broad daylight in the presence of thousands of witnesses. Only one witness comes forward to implicate Kali - her name is Laxmi Joshi, a school-teacher, the wife of Advocate Satyaprakash. Kali gives them 24 hours to withdraw the complaint. When that does not happen, the people of Dharampura will get to see Draupadi's story being re-enacted again - this time it will be Laxmi who will be publicly disrobed, and amongst the helpless spectators will be her husband.