ANIRUDDHA BAHAL braced himself for criticism like no other novelist when he released his debut. Before Bunker 13 had even hit the shelves it was sullied by his heaviest critic - the Indian government, which put him behind bars after he exposed corruption through his other job, investigative journalism.
'The government claimed that my advance was an illicit gain earned abroad, which I was now channeling through various publishing houses into India,' Bahal 36, said from his home in Delhi.
As a reporter for India's controversial news website Tehelka, Bahal posed as a representative for a defence company. Using hidden cameras, he helped film politicians and army officers accepting kickbacks. The scandal ranked among the biggest in India's recent history, alongside one over corruption in cricket - which Bahal also had a hand in exposing.
The defence row forced the resignation of Defence Minister George Fernandes, though he returned to the government a few months later. By that time Bahal had been in and out of jail after being accused of abusing and assaulting a Central Bureau of Investigation officer.
Bahal was released this time last year after being backed by 10 witnesses and the Indian public. But the government was able to shut down Tehelka's investor, Indian brokerage firm First Global.
Bahal has since founded Cobrapost, an online news portal. 'My vision is to do much of what Tehelka started off doing originally - until the government started harassing us,' he says. 'I plan to pursue public interest stories that mainstream media does not have the time or resources or inclination to pursue.'