Set off warning: Mentions of homicide and violence
Eighties, Kolar, Karnataka
Two brothers, Manjunath and Raghavendra Shanmugam, have been coming back from college. As they chatted, Manjunath advised his youthful brother how he had stopped a classmate from bullying one other pupil. This was not the primary time that this younger boy had dared to query what was clearly mistaken.
November 2005, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh
This similar righteous boy was now an IIM graduate; and a gross sales officer on the Indian Oil Company (IOC). One in every of his duties was checking petrol adulteration at petrol pumps. He set out on a tour of Lakhimpur Kheri district in November 2005. He discovered anomalies, for the second time, on the Mittal Car Petrol Pump and was about to take measures to seal it. On the evening of 19 November, he was murdered.
Manjunath’s household, who have been attending a household operate in Chennai, have been shocked past phrases. How might they even start to fathom such an unjust capturing — the place their son’s life was minimize quick for merely standing up for what was proper? As they grappled with the lack of their 27-year-old son, the information despatched shockwaves throughout the nation.
A couple of hundred kilometres away, in Mysuru, a younger couple, Anjali Mullatti and H Jaishankar, watched the information unfold on their TV screens. As IIM alumni themselves, they have been shocked. There was plenty of anger, grief, and frustration throughout the IIM alumni teams throughout Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Calcutta, and Lucknow — the 4 IIMs at the moment. Whereas many vented their grief and anger, nobody appeared to be doing something on the bottom.
Anjali and Jaishankar determined they might take motion if nobody else did. Their efforts led them to Kamini Jaiswal, a distinguished Supreme Court docket lawyer, who linked them with legal lawyer I B Singh in Lucknow. Thus started their struggle to get justice for Manjunath.
The couple took turns going to Lakhimpur Kheri for each listening to, pushing for a fast-track trial that led to a verdict inside 10 months. All of the eight accused have been discovered responsible.
“We’re perpetually indebted to them. They ensured justice for my brother. Although we are able to by no means get him again, we discovered some peace after the convicts have been sentenced,” says Raghavendra.
Now not mute spectators
Anjali and Jaishankar recall watching the information about Manjunath as if it have been yesterday. On one hand, there was anger towards IOC for permitting this to occur, whereas on the opposite, seeing his grieving dad and mom — easy, middle-class people — grapple with the magnitude of this irreparable loss was heart-wrenching.
Manjunath’s mom made an announcement on TV that echoed throughout the nation: “I’m crying tears of blood. What can we (husband and spouse) do?”
The helplessness of the widespread individuals within the face of the tough system was painfully evident. Anjali and Jaishankar have been unable to overlook Manjunath or what his mom had stated. It was time for motion. “Whereas his dad and mom could not have been in a position to struggle in opposition to the system, we, as a neighborhood of IIM professionals, might. We determined to harness this collective energy for good,” Anjali tells The Higher India.
They shortly contacted Manjunath’s mates to know the case particulars. Studying {that a} cost sheet needed to be filed inside 90 days to stop the accused from acquiring bail, they contacted SP Zaki Ahmad, who was answerable for the case and had been instrumental within the fast arrest of the accused.
Across the similar time, public outrage over the acquittal within the Jessica Lal case was at its peak, the place the wealthy and influential appeared to flee justice. This collective anger, mixed with Manjunath’s case, solely intensified the requires accountability.
Public outcry pierced the air, protesting in opposition to the highly effective petrol pump homeowners who dared to take the lifetime of a younger man from Kolar. He had made his approach to IIM Lucknow by way of large dedication and was working at his first job. He had been the boy who dared to boost questions on something mistaken he noticed, ever since he was a baby.
Raghavendra remembers his brother as a fearless being. “It was in his nature. He was a kind of uncommon individuals who wished to result in change in society,” he shares.
Individuals like Manjunath are uncommon. Even right this moment, the place many are snug with bribing to take the straightforward means out, he was a person who adopted the principles and believed in morality and justice. He was courageous, daring, and each bit particular. He was additionally social, very talked-about and charming, as his batchmates attest.
The eldest of three siblings, Manjunath grew up in Kolar Gold Fields, the place his father labored in Bharat Earth Movers Restricted (BEML). After pursuing engineering in Mysuru, he earned his MBA from IIM Lucknow.
“Everybody goes to die someday, however what they depart behind, lives perpetually. I believe my brother had a message to share with the world. He confirmed us how ruthless society might be, and pushed us to suppose — will you increase your voice?” opines Raghavendra.
The couple who dared to struggle
Anjali and Jaishankar, who had left their fast-paced company jobs in Mumbai in 2004 and moved to Mysuru for a quieter life, by no means imagined they might be thrust into such a major authorized battle. “Now we have a powerful conscience, which was strengthened by this case. We have been triggered by the injustice that had occurred, and mere lip service wasn’t going to chop it for us,” shares Jaishankar.
Initially, the couple supposed to supply administrative assist to a belief, shaped to struggle the case. The plan was to deliver collectively the 4 IIM alumni associations to kind the belief. Nevertheless, as that didn’t occur, in February 2006, they registered the Manjunath Shanmugam Belief to guide the authorized battle and took issues into their very own fingers.
Raghavendra recollects Anjali telling him, “You deal with your dad and mom. We are going to deal with the authorized proceedings.”
After talking with the investigating officers within the case, the subsequent and most vital step was to discover a good lawyer. Because of IIM alumni contacts, they acquired in contact with Supreme Court docket lawyer Kamini Jaiswal and went to fulfill her in Delhi. To her shock, the lawyer already had all of the info of the case on her desk, together with the cost sheet.
Jaiswal linked them to I B Singh, a famend legal lawyer based mostly in Lucknow. The very first thing he stated was, “I’ll take up the case, and I received’t cost any cash for it.”
Singh states that his objective was to make sure a swift trial to stop witnesses from turning hostile. With assist from Pramesh Shukla, the sub-inspector who was the case investigating officer, and the constable who had discovered Manjunath’s physique, he painstakingly put collectively the case for the prosecution.
The trial started on 5 June, 2006, on the District and Periods Court docket in Lakhimpur Kheri. Together with Anjali, IIM Lucknow college students attended the primary listening to; Jaiswal additionally got here from Delhi to attend the listening to.
Over the subsequent 9 months, 23 witnesses have been offered by the prosecution, essentially the most difficult of whom was an IOC worker who had been Manjunath’s boss. The slain official’s name information confirmed that he had spoken at size together with his boss the evening earlier than his homicide. It was probably that they mentioned the adulteration on the Mittal petrol pump and that he would seal it.
“His boss’ testimony was key to proving the motive. Manjunath had spoken to him for nearly 20 minutes on the evening of his homicide, telling him that he was going to the petrol pump to gather proof. However his boss denied receiving the decision,” Anjali says.
“We struggled to get him to testify. Till the day of the listening to, we didn’t know if he would even present as much as testify,” she provides.
On 23 March, 2007 — after a trial of simply 10 months — the decision was pronounced, discovering all eight accused responsible of homicide. The primary accused, Pawan Kumar Mittal, was sentenced to loss of life, whereas the seven others have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
“I can now sleep in peace,” have been Manjunath’s mom’s phrases after the decision.
How the couple fought the case
Securing justice was removed from simple, and concerned humongous efforts from the duo and the volunteers of the belief. Right here’s how Anjali and Jaishankar ensured a fast-tracked trial:
Tricks to Combat a Court docket Case & Get Justice
- Get a very good lawyer
By their contacts, the couple acquired a dedicated, expert, and educated lawyer. In line with the couple, having a senior lawyer who was fully dedicated to the case was a game-changer.
- Get media consideration
That they had to make sure that the case stayed within the highlight. So, Anjali and Jaishankar met with editors from varied media organisations, who supported them by persistently reporting on the case. Anjali significantly mentions The Indian Specific — who despatched a reporter for each listening to — and NDTV.
- Construct strain
They made positive the hearings weren’t delayed by getting letters from influential individuals like Narayana Murthy and Kris Gopalakrishnan of Infosys and senior IIM alumni, which they despatched to the Chief Justice of India.
- Be current on the bottom
For each listening to, both Jaishankar or Anjali would journey from Mysuru to Lakhimpur Kheri. They might publish the listening to dates in on-line alumni teams; alumni who have been free on the date, would additionally attend. A gaggle of IIM Lucknow pupil volunteers took turns to be current on the hearings.
- Elevate funds
Because of their intensive community, they have been in a position to increase funds for all of the authorized and journey bills.
- By no means surrender
Most significantly, regardless of the struggle being solitary and tough, they by no means misplaced hope.
Each Anjali and Jaishankar, travelled to Lakhimpur Kheri not less than 10 occasions throughout the trial. Their journey concerned taking a bus to Bengaluru, a flight to Delhi, then to Lucknow, adopted by a cab to Lakhimpur Kheri.
What pushed them to struggle for a boy that they had by no means met? Didn’t they ever really feel slowed down? “Actually. Some days have been powerful. At occasions, it appeared like an not possible activity. We have been carrying a heavy duty that we needed to fulfil. We needed to give our greatest,” says Anjali.
Other than IIM alumni volunteers, varied individuals — full strangers — wrote in and helped, which was a serious assist, they are saying. To honour his reminiscence, on Manjunath’s first loss of life anniversary, the belief inaugurated India’s first Proper To Data Act (RTI) helpline. The helpline ran for 3 years, serving to 1000’s of residents use the act to struggle corruption. Additionally they established the Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award to honour people who fought in opposition to systemic corruption.
Their struggle for justice continued till 2015, because the convicts appealed within the Allahabad Excessive Court docket in 2009, adopted by the Supreme Court docket in 2015. Whereas the Excessive Court docket upheld the convictions, it commuted Mittal’s loss of life sentence to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court docket additionally upheld the convictions.
‘Imagine that the system works’
After immersing your self in a case like this for therefore lengthy, life adjustments. One’s perspective in direction of life evolves, and for Anjali and Jaishankar, it was no completely different. Whereas that they had at all times been easy individuals, this expertise made them much more so.
Taking the straightforward means out was by no means an possibility for them.
“Imagine that the system works. It might sound intimidating or not possible to get one thing finished in a authorities establishment, however imagine me, it’s doable. We didn’t pay even a single rupee as a bribe, and we acquired it finished. It is going to take time, however you first must resolve that you’ll not take the shortcut,” says Jaishankar.
The couple arrange an edtech agency in 2009. Even of their company lives,they ensured that they lived by Manjunath’s beliefs, even when it meant slower progress.They remained humble and stayed away from the limelight. All they need individuals to grasp from their struggle is that every of us can take small steps towards residing a lifetime of integrity.
Three tricks to be a very good citizen:
- Arise and take motion
The following time you sit in entrance of the tv and complain concerning the system, consider Manjunath. As an alternative of simply venting, take some motion. It might be one thing as small as tweeting a couple of pothole to the native administration. There’s a probability that it’d spur motion. At all times increase your voice in opposition to injustice.
As thinker Edmund Burke as soon as stated, “The one factor mandatory for the triumph of evil is for good males to do nothing.”
- Be moral
Even when we aren’t immediately paying bribes, many people rent brokers or brokers who do it on our behalf. Anjali advises, “Don’t exit of your approach to bribe. If you happen to break a site visitors sign, pay the high quality, not the cop.”
- Assist these in want
“It’s our duty to create a extra equitable society,” says Anjali. As an alternative of wanting as much as those that are extra privileged, concentrate on the thousands and thousands residing in poverty and do your half to assist them.
“Your small contribution could make a giant distinction in somebody’s life. Give no matter you’ll be able to — whether or not it’s Rs 1,000 or Rs 10,000. It’s vital to your personal peace of thoughts,” she provides.
At the same time as Anjali and Jaishankar stay modest about their efforts, the Shanmugam household is deeply grateful to them. “They devoted their lives for us. God is available in completely different varieties. Everybody who got here ahead to assist, inspire, and console us, together with Manjunath’s mates and juniors, have been manifestations of God. They confirmed me that there are good individuals in society, to stability out the unhealthy,” says Raghavendra.
The couple confirmed the nation that each one it takes is for one particular person to take cost and act. As an alternative of merely making this case a dinner desk dialog, they went on the bottom and fought. All it takes is that first step.
What can be your first step?
Edited by Khushi Arora, Pictures Courtesy Raghavendra Shanmugam
