The judgment in the case pertaining to Indian Oil official S Manjunath's murder will be delivered on March 23, sixteen months after the 27-year-old whistle-blower was gunned down apparently for opposing petrol adulteration by a pump owner, sparking a nationwide outcry.
District Judge A M Abdi reserved the judgment on Friday after prosecution and defence lawyers submitted the rulings of the high courts and the Supreme Court to buttress their contention.
Manjunath, an IIM-Lucknow graduate, was killed in Lakhimpur Kheri on November 15, 2005. His bullet-riddled body was recovered a few days later in neighbouring Sitapur district.
Seven accused, including the owner of a petrol pump, are facing trial
in the district court in connection with the killing. Manjunath was killed apparently after he had threatened to revoke the license for the petrol pump for selling adulterated fuel.
The killing had evoked sharp reaction from across the country. The court had examined witnesses and also evidence last month while the closing arguments by rival counsels concluded last week.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Kamini Jaiswal, who had appeared on behalf of the prosecution, had also raised the issue of witnesses turning hostile after recording their statements and urged the court to initiate proceedings against them.
As many as three witnesses had turned hostile after recording their statements in the case.