Lodhi Road: The Puntland Assignment

British-Indian author and longtime Brighton resident Sanjay Kumar unveils his spy thriller, Lodhi Road: The Puntland Assignment, a gripping faction narrative that delves into the clandestine world of the Indian intelligence community, espionage, Jihadist terrorism, and the Hindu mafia.

Lodhi Road is the first Hari Vandra book in a trilogy.

In this story Sanjay Kumar weaves a tale that unfolds against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions in South Asia, the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and the ongoing Red Sea crisis involving the Houthi movement in Yemen. 

The novel opens with the assassination of Pakistan's military dictator, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in 1988, sending shockwaves through the region. The enigmatic Hindu monk and spymaster, Acharya Bhairava, emerges as a central figure, embarking on a mission to thwart the nefarious plans of the Compact, a cabal within Pakistan's military and political elite.

At the heart of the story lies Hari Vandra, an intrepid Brighton crime reporter, who is drawn into the dangerous world of espionage when India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing, recruits him for a dangerous mission. Sent by the RAW to Somalia under deep cover, Hari's assignment is to uncover a plot involving the supply and distribution of biological weapons to Maoist insurgent groups operating in India's Red Corridor. 

As Hari navigates through a complex web of Somali and Houthi piracy, geopolitical rivalries, and covert paramilitary operations of India’s special forces, he discovers that the greatest threat may come from within the ranks of India's clandestine service.

Lodhi Road: The Puntland Assignment is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other leading retailers.