- Sonu Kashyap sought revenge for his mother’s assault by Manoj a decade ago
- Sonu and four friends planned and killed Manoj in Lucknow after spotting him
- They attacked Manoj with iron rods after he closed his shop on May 22
Their mother was insulted and thrashed by a man a decade ago. What followed was a frantic hunt that carried the essence of a classic Bollywood script and the brutality of an unforgiving son. Such is the story of Sonu Kashyap, who, driven by his thirst for revenge, roamed the streets of Lucknow for the next 10 years in search of Manoj.
Sonu's friends joined him in the murder plot, purely on the promise that they would be thrown a party after the killing. They executed a well-crafted plan and eliminated Manoj, a coconut water seller, but a social media post gave away their identities to the police and landed them all behind bars.
The accused were identified as Sonu, Ranjeet, Adil, Salamu, and Rehmat Ali.
The Murder
Manoj had thrashed Sonu's mother over a dispute about 10 years ago and fled the area. Upset and enraged over the insult meted out to his mother, Sonu began a quest to find him. Time passed, but he didn't give up. About three months ago, he finally spotted him in the city's Munshi Pulia area. There began his planning for revenge.
From conducting a recce to noting down Manoj's daily schedule, Sonu prepared a meticulous plan to eliminate him. But he needed resources. He involved four of his friends in the murder plot, promising to throw them a party after the murder. On May 22, after Manoj had just closed his shop and was alone, they attacked him with iron rods and left him half-dead.
Manoj died during the treatment.
The Party
It was a blind probe for the police. While the accused were captured on CCTV, the cops could not find them anywhere.
Meanwhile, with the murder executed, it was party time for Sonu and company. He threw a lavish liquor party for his friends. Booze flowed, and some photos even made it to social media. And that helped the police zero in on the suspects.
One of the five suspects seen in the CCTV footage was identified in the social media photos. Further search gave away his social media profiles. He was seen wearing the same orange t-shirt on social media that he wore during the murder.
The police then tracked and arrested all five suspects.
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