Manjunath murder trial adjourned to next month

On the third day of the Manjunath murder trial, the case was adjourned to next month on the prosecution’s request. The next date of hearing has now been fixed for July 6.

On the third day of the Manjunath murder trial, the case was adjourned to next month on the prosecution’s request. The next date of hearing has now been fixed for July 6.

Earlier in the day, while being taken to Court, Monu Mittal, the main accused in the case, lashed out at the mediapersons outside. He accused them of joining hands with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to get him convicted. On Monday too, when the trial began, the eight accused had created a ruckus outside the Court.

No witness could be presented before Court today. ‘‘The witnesses could not be presented due to unavoidable reasons,’’ said the public prosecutor, Chandra Mohan Singh. ‘‘Summons were issued in the name of three witnesses — Tarshem Singh, Rajendra Singh and Balwinder Kaur,’’ he informed. Of the three, Kaur was not found at home.

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The Court had earlier issued bailable warrants against the other two. But one person claiming to be Tarshem Singh appeared in Court today. However, the prosecution did not present him before Court as they could not establish his identity.

‘‘I was unable to get his identity confirmed immediately. So I did not present him before Court for his examination. The Court has now given me time to identify him as Tarshem Singh,’’ said the public prosecutor.

The counsel for the accused, Vidya Dhar Pandey, said: ‘‘Aaj ki sunwai mein badha padi.’’ So far, five witnesses have been examined.

S Manjunath, an IIT-Kanpur graduate who was working as an IOC sales executive, was killed on November 19 last year, after he had reportedly threatened to seal a petrol pump — Mittal Automobiles at Gola Gokarn in Lahimpur Kheri district — for selling adulterated fuel.