Under orders from New Delhi, Inspector Ghote is sent to look into the theft and sale of exam papers from one of the most deplorable outlying colleges of Bombay University. At first glance all seems straightforward. The chief suspect, Bala Chambhar, has attempted suicide and Principal Bembalkar has admitted leaving his office safe unlocked. But life is never easy for Ghote and he soon finds himself head-over-heels in the often farcical world of Indian college life with struggles on the Board of Trustees over who should run the college and student protests leading to kidnapping and violence.