Set off warning: Mentions of homicide and violence
Nineteen Eighties, Kolar, Karnataka
Two brothers, Manjunath and Raghavendra Shanmugam, have been getting back from faculty. 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 fallacious.
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 Vehicle 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 perform 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 lower 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 a variety of anger, grief, and frustration inside 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 felony lawyer I B Singh in Lucknow. Thus started their battle 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 ceaselessly 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.
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 mother and father — 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 folks within the face of the cruel 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 mother and father might not have been in a position to battle towards 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 rapidly contacted Manjunath’s pals to know the case particulars. Studying {that a} cost sheet needed to be filed inside 90 days to forestall 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 towards the highly effective petrol pump house owners who dared to take the lifetime of a younger man from Kolar. He had made his option to IIM Lucknow by means of great dedication and was working at his first job. He had been the boy who dared to boost questions on something fallacious 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 needed to result in change in society,” he shares.
Individuals like Manjunath are uncommon. Even at the moment, the place many are comfy with bribing to take the simple method 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 fashionable 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 ceaselessly. I feel my brother had a message to share with the world. He confirmed us how ruthless society will be, and pushed us to assume — will you elevate your voice?” opines Raghavendra.
The couple who dared to battle
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 bolstered 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 meant to supply administrative assist to a belief, shaped to battle the case. The plan was to convey 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 arms.
Raghavendra remembers Anjali telling him, “You care for your mother and father. We’ll care for 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 satisfy 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 felony lawyer primarily based in Lucknow. The very first thing he stated was, “I’ll take up the case, and I gained’t cost any cash for it.”
Singh states that his purpose was to make sure a swift trial to forestall 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 Classes 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, probably the most difficult of whom was an IOC worker who had been Manjunath’s boss. The slain official’s name data confirmed that he had spoken at size along with his boss the evening earlier than his homicide. It was possible 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 principle 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 straightforward, 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 great lawyer
Via their contacts, the couple acquired a dedicated, expert, and educated lawyer. In keeping 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 numerous media organisations, who supported them by constantly reporting on the case. Anjali notably mentions The Indian Categorical — 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 folks 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 elevate funds for all of the authorized and journey bills.
- By no means hand over
Most significantly, regardless of the battle being solitary and troublesome, they by no means misplaced hope.
Each Anjali and Jaishankar, travelled to Lakhimpur Kheri a minimum of 10 occasions in the course of 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 battle for a boy they’d by no means met? Didn’t they ever really feel slowed down? “Definitely. Some days have been robust. At occasions, it appeared like an unattainable job. We have been carrying a heavy accountability that we needed to fulfil. We needed to give our greatest,” says Anjali.
Other than IIM alumni volunteers, numerous folks — 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 battle corruption. Additionally they established the Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award to honour people who fought towards systemic corruption.
Their battle 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.
‘Consider that the system works’
After immersing your self in a case like this for thus lengthy, life adjustments. One’s perspective in the direction of life evolves, and for Anjali and Jaishankar, it was no totally different. Whereas they’d all the time been easy folks, this expertise made them much more so.
Taking the simple method out was by no means an possibility for them.
“Consider that the system works. It may appear intimidating or unattainable to get one thing performed 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 performed. 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 folks to grasp from their battle is that every of us can take small steps towards dwelling a lifetime of integrity.
Three tricks to be a great citizen:
- Arise and take motion
The following time you sit in entrance of the tv and complain in regards to the system, consider Manjunath. As an alternative of simply venting, take some motion. It may very well be one thing as small as tweeting a couple of pothole to the native administration. There’s a probability that it would spur motion. At all times elevate your voice towards injustice.
As thinker Edmund Burke as soon as stated, “The one factor obligatory 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 option to bribe. If you happen to break a visitors sign, pay the tremendous, not the cop.”
- Assist these in want
“It’s our accountability to create a extra equitable society,” says Anjali. As an alternative of trying as much as those that are extra privileged, deal with the thousands and thousands dwelling 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 possibly can — whether or not it’s Rs 1,000 or Rs 10,000. It’s vital on 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 totally different kinds. Everybody who got here ahead to assist, encourage, and console us, together with Manjunath’s pals and juniors, have been manifestations of God. They confirmed me that there are good folks in society, to steadiness out the unhealthy,” says Raghavendra.
The couple confirmed the nation that every 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 shall be your first step?
Edited by Khushi Arora, Photos Courtesy Raghavendra Shanmugam
