The closing arguments in the Shanmugam Manjunath murder case began today at the Lakhimpur Kheri District and Sessions Court, with the prosecution and senior lawyers from High Court and Supreme Court making final arguments against all eight accused.

Manjunath, an Indian Oil sales executive, was killed on November 19, 2005 after he had reportedly threatened to seal a Lakhimpur Kheri petrol pump for selling adulterated fuel.

While examination of witnesses and evidences was completed last month, the case is on way to its conclusion — the closing arguments would continue for another three days, and the verdict is expected in 12 days.

Additional District Government Counsel Chandra Mohan and senior lawyers Indra Bhushan Singh from Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court and Kamini Jaiswal from Supreme Court — both representing S Manjunath Trust — made out their case linking evidences with statements of witnesses.

The presentation of evidence against individual accused would take place on Tuesday.

The seven accused were escorted to the courtroom here at around 10.30 am. The eighth accused, Harish Mishra, who had been granted bail by the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court, was also present in the court.

The proceeding began with Additional District Government Counsel Chandra Mohan briefing the court about sequence of events with fact and figures.

He said 26 witnesses had been examined in the case and three had turned hostile.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Kamini Jaiswal then discussed other evidences as material exhibits.

She highlighted the conversation between Manjunath and R K Zutshi, the IIM-Lucknow graduate’s erstwhile boss at Indian Oil.

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