In a chilling tale of revenge straight out of a Bollywood thriller, a man named Sonu Kashyap hunted down and murdered a coconut water vendor in Lucknow—ten years after the victim allegedly assaulted his mother. The plot, however, unraveled due to a careless mistake: photos from a celebration party shared on social media.
The story dates back a decade, when Manoj, the victim, reportedly thrashed Sonu’s mother over a dispute and then vanished from the area. Enraged and humiliated, Sonu vowed revenge and spent the next ten years scouring the streets for Manoj.
Three months ago, Sonu finally spotted Manoj in the Munshi Pulia area of Lucknow and began plotting the murder. He meticulously studied Manoj’s movements and involved four friends—Ranjeet, Adil, Salamu, and Rehmat Ali—promising them a party after the crime.
On May 22, after Manoj closed his shop for the day, the group ambushed him with iron rods, leaving him critically injured. Manoj later succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Initially, the police had few leads. Though the attackers were caught on CCTV, their identities remained unknown. Meanwhile, Sonu hosted the promised liquor party to celebrate the killing. Photos from the event were uploaded to social media, where one suspect was seen wearing the same orange t-shirt captured in the CCTV footage.
This vital clue led investigators to track and arrest all five accused, who now face murder charges.