Author(s): Dr. Shilpa Yashwant Waykar

Abstract: This research paper examines Vikas Swarup's second novel, Six Suspects (2008), as a sophisticated work of crime fiction that transcends generic boundaries to offer a penetrating critique of contemporary Indian society. Building on the success of his debut Q & A, Swarup employs a murder mystery framework to explore the deep-seated inequalities, systemic corruption, and social contradictions that define modern India. Through its multi-narrative structure—presenting the lives of six disparate individuals connected to a high-profile murder—the novel exposes how justice is contingent upon social position, how the elite operate with impunity, and how the marginalized are systematically criminalized . This analysis examines the novel's formal innovations, its critique of institutional power, its representation of India's social spectrum, and its interrogation of the very concept of justice in a stratified society. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from postcolonial studies and the sociology of literature, the paper argues that Six Suspects represents a significant intervention in Indian English fiction, using the conventions of crime fiction to stage a comprehensive examination of the nation's post-millennial condition.

Keywords: Vikas Swarup, Six Suspects, Indian English fiction, crime fiction, social inequality, postcolonial literature, narrative justice, corruption

Article Info: Received: 29 Nov 2024; Received in revised form: 22 Dec 2024; Accepted: 25 Dec 2024; Available online: 31 Dec 2024

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.96.71