Shanmughan Manjunath Biography 
Shanmughan Manjunath was a marketing manager of the Indian Oil Corporation and was murdered for sealing a corrupt petrol bunk in Uttar Pradesh. Several students of IIM, IIT and other institutions were inspired by this incident.
He was born on 23rd February 1978. He studied Computer Science Engineering at Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering at Mysore and then earned MBA from Indian Institute of Management at Lucknow. When he was working for the Indian Oil Corporation in Lucknow, he ordered to close the two petrol pumps at Lakhimpur Kheri. This was sealed for three months for selling the adulterated fuel.
He decided to conduct a surprise raid after a month on 19th November 2005. As his father did not hear from his son, he sent an SMS. But there was no reply and he was found shot to dead in Gola Gokarannath town of Lakhimpur Kheri. His body with six bullets was found in the backseat of his car. This car was driven by the employees of the petrol pump. They were arrested and the pump owner Pawan Kumar Mittal was also arrested with seven others.
The IIM Lucknow batch mates of Shanmughan Manjunath kept the story alive and they initiated the founding of Manjunath Shanmugam Trust. The lawyer I. B. Singh, Public Prosecutor Sri Chandramohan Singh, Trustees, volunteers and supporters worked hard for justice. Lakhimpur Khiri Sessions’s court found the eight accused were guilty. The main accused was the petrol pump owner Pawan Kumar Mittal together with seven accomplices.
Pawan Kumar Mittal awas sentenced to death by the district court and others were given life imprisonment. The judgment was given on 21st March 2005. Indian Oil Corporation gave 26 lakhs compensation to the family. The adulteration in diesel was dealt by the Energy Coordination Committee under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust was registered on 23rd February 2006 on his birth anniversary to fight against corruption. The Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award is given with One Lakh cash to those who work to rectify corruption. The first award was given to the Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University Prof. R. P. Singh on 24th March 2007.
Published: N/A
Updated: August 28, 2011
