It was an emotional moment for the high profile director of a private bank in Mumbai. This former student of IIM Lucknow unabashedly broke down at a public event. What caused the emotional outburst? He got nostalgic while remembering Manjunath Shanmugam, an Indian Oil Corporation official who was brutally gunned down by the oil mafia in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on November 19, 2005.
After six years, the saga of Manjunath is going to be depicted on celluloid to inspire young Indians to walk the path of honesty. Mumbai-based ad filmmaker-turned-director Sandeep A. Verma’s film titled Manjunath pays tribute to this upright officer. The film will hit the screens on November 19 — the day Manjunath was brutally murdered.
So what triggered Sandeep’s interest in this subject? “I was approached in 2007 by IIM alumni Jaishankar and Anjali, the couple who fought for justice in the case, and was skeptical initially. But after studying the life of Manjunath, I was inspired to make the film.”
Anjali Mulatti (IIML class of ‘93) and her husband H. Jaishankar (IIMB class of ‘92) are the real life heroes, who played a crucial part in ensuring justice was done in the case. This feisty couple is based in Mysore, where they run a financial-education firm. Their need for justice was so strong that they took up the case, when no one was willing to fight the corrupt system. Their die-hard determination not only earned Anjali and Jaishanker respect, but the case soon turned into a national movement. Justice eventually prevailed.
But the fight was far from easy. “Frankly, Jai and I didn’t know the difference between an FIR and a charge sheet before taking-up Manju’s case. And because we fought for an honest cause, we got tremendous support from the police and lawyers, who don’t exactly enjoy the best of reputations in our society. So, unless we experience and understand the reality nothing changes. If you believe in a cause, fight for it, you don’t have to fast unto death, just follow your convictions,” says Anjali.
Having said that, the couple admits that every day was stressful. “Starting from framing of charges, substantiating the evidence and bringing witnesses to the court, every issue was challenging. Fortunately, our counsel Indra Bhushan Singh was very competitive and succeeded in ensuring that justice was done. He is the unsung hero in the case. I.B. Singh has also fought the recent sensational Manoj Kumar Gupta case, a UP engineer murdered for refusing to give donation for the birthday celebration of Chief Minister Mayawati,” adds Jaishanker.
Even the Manoj Kumar Gupta case was referred by the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust who provided the legal services. Says Anjali, “The satisfaction we got after the court sentenced the killers to life imprisonment cannot be described. The verdict day March 27, 2007, was the most memorable day in our life. It was a great learning experience for us.”
Manjunath’s brother Raghavendra was more than generous in his praise of this couple. “Without them it would have been impossible to fight the case. My family is really grateful to not only them but all IIM Lucknow students who supported us. Our advocate I.B. Singh was remarkable and argued the case for free. In fact, I never went to court during the trail. Anjali and Jai asked me not to worry and to take care of my family. They gave us a lot of moral support,” he confesses.
In a Bollywood-obsessed country, where movie stars continue to inspire youth, Anjali and Jai come as a breath of fresh air. They have become new age role models for Gen Y as they carry forward Manjunath’s mission through the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust (MST) with the objective of achieving corruption-free governance.
The MST is concentrating on propagating the Right to Information Act and has set up the National RTI Helpline in New Delhi and wishes to set up similar helpline in other metropolitan cities. “Every year on November 19, we hold a candlelight march and take oath on behalf of Manjunath, where we promise to follow the path of integrity and honesty. Last year, 28 top colleges including all IIMs took this oath. MST also gives integrity award every year to individuals who symbolise these values,” says Jaishankar.
–Agencies