Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Manjunath Shanmugam: ex-IOC employee ... killed on duty


The following excerpts are from the website:
http://syg.com/web/manjunath/
This can be visited for more details also. I offer here an introduction to the memory of this guy who is well and truely a martyr in the

Manjunath Shanmugam is a name and face that not many from the batches of MBAs that passed through IIM Lucknow during 2002-2004 were going to forget. Then he went and made sure that not just these MBAs but the entire country would remember him forever.

We will remember Manju for the kind of person he was - best illustrated through the words of a batchmate: “He always managed to bring out a cheery “Hi Macha!” no matter how many times we passed each other in a day. It was probably because he was so genuine in his joy of meeting you each time.”

Manjunath was an upright and honest man – an idealist to a fault, and passionate about values, and about making a difference to Society. It was this passion, this standing up for what he believed was right, that would one day cost him his life.

November 19, 2005 – the fateful night…

On November 19, 2005, Manju was shot and killed in Lakhimpur Khiri in Uttar Pradesh, by a dealer of Indian Oil Corporation - the company he worked for. His only “fault” was that he did his duty: he would not accept bribes for turning a blind eye to the adulteration of fuel being carried out by the dealer….his body, riddled with at least five bullets was found in the backseat of his car when a police patrol intercepted two of the accused, who were on their way to dispose the body.

The heinous crime brought out an intense reaction from the people of India. Everyone, including the Media, Indian Oil Corporation, the Minister of Petroleum - Mani Shankar Iyer, the President of India - Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, expressed their shock and anger, and condemned the killing.

Please visit November 19, 2005 – The fateful night for a factual summary of events on the night Manju was killed.

The murder not only highlighted the corrupt and mafia ridden distribution of petroleum products in the country, it punctured the false cocoon of security of Manju’s friends, batchmates and other conscientious citizens of the country who - perhaps blanketed by the comfort of their urban lifestyles, had become impervious to the decay and malaise prevailing elsewhere in India.

The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust

This trust is the result of a strong desire now to make a difference… to not allow the life and the death of Manjunath go in vain. The most immediate objective of the Trust is to ensure that justice is done in Manju’s murder case. The murderers must not go free.

The Trust also aims to focus like-minded people and resources to promote truth, honesty and justice in Indian corporate, government and public matters. For broader objectives of the Trust, please visit Trust Objectives.

This is a call for everyone who wants to make a difference in this case to join hands and contribute to the cause of ensuring Manju’s death is not in vain.

- First written on 2nd October. If you find any factual inacuracies, please mail back indian.heros.blog@gmail.com You are also free to leave behind comments and the additional issues on this post.

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