The District and Sessions court of Lakhimpur Kheri will pronounce its judgment in the S Manjunath murder case tomorrow. The murder of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) sales officer S Manjunath, an IIM, Lucknow pass-out, had shocked the entire country over a year ago.

On November 20, 2005, Manjunath’s body was recovered from an area under the Maholi police station of Sitapur, a neighbouring district of Lakhimpur Kheri where he was posted. Considered an upright and honest officer, Manjunath was on a mission to check adulteration of diesel and petrol with kerosene in his area, his colleagues had said.

The police filed its chargesheet in the Manjunath case in February 2006. Their investigation found that Manjunath was killed at a petrol pump, Mittal Automobiles, at Gola Gokarn in Lakhimpur Kheri district on the intervening night of November 19 and 20. According to the police, two accused, Rakesh Sharma and Vivek Anand, were present in the vehicle which was carrying the body of Manjunath. Head constable Ram Bhuwan Singh, who had intercepted the vehicle and seized Manjunath’s body, was examined before the court on June 5, 2006.

Police submitted chargesheet against eight accused, including Monu Mittal, son of Sulakshan Mittal, the owner of the petrol pump. Devesh, Sanjay, Sivkesh, Lalla and Harish were the other five accused.