Shanmugam Manjunath (23 February 1978 – 19 November 2005) was a sales officer (grade A officer) for the Indian Oil Corporation who was murdered for sealing a corrupt petrol station in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. This incident inspired several students at IIM, IIT and other institutes culminating with the IIM students setting up "The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust".
Education
Manjunath did his initial schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, BEML Nagar, Kolar Gold Fields, Karnataka. He finished his 10th in 1993 and 12th std in science stream in 1995 from the same school. Later on he did his Computer Science Engineering degree from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore, and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Lucknow.
Opposition to corruption and murder
While working for the Indian Oil Corporation in Lucknow, he ordered two petrol pumps at Lakhimpur Kheri sealed for selling adulterated fuel for three months. When the pump started operating again a month later, Manjunath decided to conduct a surprise raid around 19 November 2005.
Having not heard from his son for three days, at around 9 that night, his father, M Shanmughan, sent an SMS: "How are you?". There was no reply because that night, during his inspection, Manjunath had been shot dead in the town of Gola Gokarannath in Lakhimpur Kheri. His body, riddled with at least six bullets, was found in the backseat of his own car, which was being driven by two employees of the petrol pump. Both were arrested and the main accused, pump-owner Pawan Kumar ('Monu') Mittal, was held on 23 November along with seven others.
Indian Oil Corporation paid compensation to the family.
Murder trial
Manjunath's death came close on the heels of the assassination of Satyendra Dubey (27 November 1973 – 27 November 2003), suspected to have been murdered for similar reasons (fighting corruption). Following the murder, there was immense media spotlight on the case. The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust was founded by IIM alumni Anjali Mullatti & H. Jaishankar. The Trust was supported by hundreds of alumni across the IIMs; as well as many well wishers; S. Manjunath's batchmates from IIM Lucknow (where he was affectionately called machan) also kept the story alive.
Sessions court
The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust took up the case with determination. The Trustees and volunteers - many were students from the 2007 batch of IIM Lucknow - attended every single hearing at Lakhimpur Kheri. Ms. Kamini Jaiswal, noted Supreme Court lawyer supported the Trust in fighting the case from the beginning. The Trust lawyer Mr. IB Singhplayed a stellar and invaluable role.The Public Prosecutor Sri Chandramohan Singh, Sri Kaushal Kishor and Sri Shailendra Singh Gaur, trustees, volunteers and supporters worked hard to ensure quick justice. On 24 March 2007, in a record nine months' trial , all eight accused were found guilty by the Lakhimpur Kheri Sessions Court. The main accused, Monu Mittal and 7 accomplices were convicted of murder by Sessions judge, Lakhimpur Kheri.
Petrol pump owner Pawan Kumar Mittal, the main accused in the sensational murder, was sentenced to death by the Sessions Court, while the other seven accused were given life imprisonment on 26 March 2007.
High court
The convicts challenged the Sessions Court's verdict in Allahabad High Court. On 12 December 2009, Allahabad High Court commuted the death sentence of prime convict Pawan Kumar Mittal to life imprisonment. The high court upheld the life sentence of five others but acquitted two other accused – Harish Misra and Sanjay Awasthi.
Supreme court
The convicts appealed to the Supreme Court in 2011. Ms. Kamini Jaiswal represented the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust and the Trustees attended every hearing. On 11 March 2015, the Supreme Court dismissed all the convicts' appeals, holding that the prosecution had proved the chain of events, needed for a case of circumstantial evidence. They will continue serving their life sentences.
Release of Convicts
One of the convicts, Shivkesh Giri, alias Lalla Giri, stepped out of the Lakhimpur Kheri district jail on January 8, 2023 after the state ordered his premature release. </ref> </ref>