Manjunath Murder Case: Killer's Death Sentence commuted to Life

Lucknow: Breaking News! The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court commuted the death sentence of the main accused Monu Mittal alias Pawan in the Manjunath Shanmugam murder case. The HC also upheld the life sentence of five others, but acquitted two other accused in the case. The court did not consider the case as the rarest of rare cases.

Manjunath Shanmugam, a management graduate from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM-L), was working as a Sales Officer with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). He exposed an adulteration racket at an IOC petrol pump in Lakhimpur Kheri that was owned by Monu Mittal alias Pawan.

Manjunath was shot dead on November 19, 2005. The District Sessions Judge (DSJ) of Lakhimpur Kheri, had sentenced Monu Mittal to death, while sentencing seven others to life.