Chennai, November 22
The Kanchi Shankaracharya today received some relief from the Kancheepuram Judicial Magistrate as the judge refused to extend his police custody as sought by the prosecution for his alleged involvement in a murder case.
The seer was produced in the court at Kancheepuram, 70 km from here, this morning. The prosecution sought extension of the police remand for another day as the investigators wanted to question the seer regarding some bank transactions as it could not do so as yesterday was a bank holiday.
The seer was remanded in police custody for three days on Thursday and it ended at 10. 30 am today. The prosecution admitted that Jayendra Saraswathi was cooperating with the police.
The Magistrate, Mr G. Uttamarajan, asked the seer for his comments on the prosecution’s plea.
The Shankaracharya replied: “They have asked all the questions they wanted. I do not think there is anything more for me to say and I do not want to stay in police custody as it is not necessary.”
The seer also told the Magistrate that he was not tortured in police custody and a doctor examined him thrice a day.
Defence counsel, too, opposed the prosecution plea seeking extension of the police remand, saying that the seer’s presence was not needed for examining bank accounts.
The Magistrate then turned down the police plea and remanded the Shankaracharya in judicial custody till November 26.
While dismissing the petition, Mr Uttamarajan said the seer had already been sufficiently interrogated and there was no need to grant further custody.
He said that the relevant bank accounts could be examined and the seer’s presence in police custody was not required.
The Hindu pontiff was then escorted out of the court and taken to Vellore Central Prison, 140 km
