Shankarachary's remand extended for two weeks

Investigation being done with extreme care and caution: Jayalalithaa

Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi, who has been remanded to judicial custody in connection with a murder case and an assault case, today filed separate bail applications in the Madras High Court and the principal sessions court.

Both applications will be heard in the respective courts on Monday.

The applications were filed a short while after a Kancheepuram court extended his judicial remand by two weeks in the case pertaining to the murder of a temple official Sankararaman on September 3 and a metropolitan magistrate remanding him to judicial custody till December 9 in the two-year-old assault case.

Radhakrishnan, a former mutt employee, was attacked in his residence. His wife and an attendant also suffered injuries in the attack in September 2002. In his bail plea, the second before the high court, the seer sought bail on the grounds of "change of circumstances."

The seer, the main accused in the murder case, contended that a co-accused, Kathiravan, had openly stated in the Kanch-eepuram court that he had been beaten up at a police station and forced to sign a statement as directed by them in the presence of a tahsildar.

The accused had also claimed that the statement was video-recorded, the seer contended and pointed out that an identification parade had also been completed. The Shanka-racharya said another accused, Rajni, had told the Kancheepuram magistrate that the police had broken some of his teeth.

On November 20, Justice R Balasubramanian had dismissed the first bail plea filed by the seer. In his bail application in the assault case, the seer claimed that "he has been falsely implicated in the case for ulterior reasons."

Pointing out that the assault had taken place over two years ago, the Shankaracharya claimed that he was in no way connected with the incident.

He said the fact that he was charged in the case while he was in custody in another case "speaks volumes for itself."

Stating that he never entertained any ill-will against Radhakrishnan, the seer added that the victim had visited the mutt even after the attack.

Submitting that he was diabetic, the Shankaracharya said that if released on bail he would abide by the conditions laid down by the court.

On the other hand, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said the investigation in the case involving Kanchi Shankaracharya was being done with "extreme care and caution" and he was being treated with "utmost dignity and consideration befitting his religious status".

The morning after she received Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's letter that counselled her to ensure that the investigations in the case "are conducted with extreme care and consideration", she wrote back to him saying that only "after careful and thorough" investigation of the ghastly and brutal murder of Sanakararaman the state police had arrested the seer on 11 November.

"As you have rightly observed, the due processes of law must not not be interfered with and the law must be allowed to take its own course," she said in the letter.

Jayalalitha said the further investigation by the police led to the Sankaracharya's arrest in another case of "murderous assault" on Radhakrishnan, who was closely connected with the mutt.

The investigation was being handled by a special investigation team with "extreme care and caution to ensure its thoroughness", she said.

As regards the treatment of the Shankaracharya in the custody, an aspect referred to by Singh, Jayalalitha said after his arrest the seer has been treated with utmost dignity and consideration befitting his religious status and position in the society.

"While in custody, it has been ensured that he is treated with care and caution considering his age and health condition," she said.

Singh had asked to her to take "all such measures" to ensure the physical well being of Jayendra Saraswati. The chief minister said a team of doctors has been monitoring his health parameters and has reported that the seer's health condition was quite satisfactory. He had himself stated before a magistrate that he was being treated well, she added.

"The state government was taking and would be taking utmost care to ensure the physical well being of the seer," Jayalalitha assured the prime minister.