''Ramanaa'' begins with the abduction of fifteen District collectors. After three days in captivity, fourteen officers are released, but one is murdered. The police find a tape recording and a file on the dead officer's body that provide significant evidence concerning the kidnapping and subsequent murder. The file suggests that the crimes were committed by members of the self-proclaimed "Anti-Corruption Force" (A.C.F.), a citizen militia seeking to eliminate corruption through vigilante acts. The militia, acting as a kangaroo court, "sentenced" corrupt officials in the area to death, beginning with the captured revenue officers who were apparently engaging in criminal activity.