New Delhi: Penguin Random House India will release Press 9 for a Crime, the first novel by award-winning screenwriter Shailendra Jha, on 25 September 2025. Jha is best known as the creator of the hit web series Grahan.

In just the first few months of 2025, Indians have lost more than ₹7,000 crore to online scams. Many of these frauds are run from guarded centres in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Here, trafficked Indians are forced to work in scam factories using fake apps, AI deepfakes, and threats of “digital arrest” to cheat people.

Set against this disturbing backdrop, Press 9 for a Crime tells the story of the Anand family. Their eldest son disappears after taking a job overseas. What begins as a dream turns into a nightmare when they discover he has been trapped in cyber slavery — forced to be both a victim and a criminal.

The novel moves between the lanes of East Delhi and scam hubs of Southeast Asia. With sharp writing and emotional depth, Jha delivers a fast-paced thriller about family, loss, and survival.

“Cybercrime is now vast enough to be like the world’s third-largest economy, but its true impact is on human lives,” Jha says.

The book has already won praise from filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who calls it “fast, fierce, and frighteningly believable.”

Details:

Pre-order: Available now on Amazon

Book Title: Press 9 for a Crime

Author: Shailendra Jha

Publisher: Penguin Random House India