Karnataka - Bangalore   

I am proud of him, says Manjunath's father

Staff Reporter

M. Shanmugam — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: He stands with utter dignity, barely speaking and clearly uncomfortable with the spotlight. But M. Shanmugam's voice quivers with conviction when he says he wants nothing less than death sentence for the eight men sentenced for the murder of his 27-year-old son Manjunath.

On Friday, the Lakhimpur Kheri Sessions Court convicted all the accused for the murder of his son, an IIM alumnus who chose to be a sales division officer at the Indian Oil Corporation, on the night of November 19, 2005 for threatening action against Mittal Petrol Pump, which was selling adulterated petrol.

"The people involved in the case were influential and the police warned that my family could get into trouble. I came to IIM (Lucknow) and told them I could not handle it myself. They took over the case and handled it entirely," Mr. Shanmugam says with immense gratitude.

Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the presentation ceremony of the Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award, the bereaved father reminisced about his son.

Endearing person

"He easily made friends and was always around them. But it was his singing that attracted everyone to him."

After Manjunath graduated from Sri Jayachamrajendra College of Engineering, Mysore, the father wanted him to take up a job.

"But he wanted to join IIM. He never wanted to sit in front of a computer all his life. He really liked marketing and that is why he joined IOC."

Before that fateful night his son had told him about his encounter with those at the petrol pump.

"None of us expected it all. Till the last moment, my son was friendly with those at the pump. Now, he stands as a role model and I am proud of him and what he did."

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