Chennai, November 30
While the Madras High Court today reserved its order on the bail petition of the Shankaracharya in connection with the Sankararaman murder case, the Principal sessions court here adjourned the bail plea hearing to Friday in the Radhakrishnan assault case.
Mr Justice R. Balasubramanium today heard both sides for the second day and asked the prosecution to present the case diary to him tomorrow afternoon.
The defence counsel raised the point whether the confessional statements in front of the police and not recorded by a Magistrate were admissible as evidence in the court.
Mr I. Subramanium strongly refuted the prosecution’s arguments yesterday that the Shankaracharya had confessed to his crime before the police and would tamper with evidence if he was given bail.
He said the entire confessional statement was made up by the police.
This was second bail petition being heard by the Madras High Court as the earlier one was dismissed by the same court on November 20.
Meanwhile, the entire episode involving the Shankaracharya charged with murdering Sankararaman and getting another former Kanchi Mutt devotee, Radhakrishnan, and his family members attacked is turning out to be murky.
With the mention of involvement of women in the affairs of the mutt and a leading Tamil woman writer, Ms Anuradha Ramanan, levelling charges of sexual harassment and attempt to murder against the seer have gravely sullied the reputation of the Hindu institution.
The mystery woman, Usha, who the prosecution yesterday alleged in court was involved in the Sankararaman murder, today turned up at the Kancheepuram district police chief’s office accompanied by her lawyer, Ms Sudha Ramalingam. In her presence Ms. Ramalingman said, “She is a 47-year-old woman suffering from cancer and was one of
the beneficiaries of the Kanchi Mutt. There is no question of her absconding or hiding.
“I have advised her to be at ease and present her before the police for questioning. The police told me they would release her after questioning,” she said.
However, the prosecution had told the court yesterday that the seer had extensive telephonic conversations with Usha at Srirangam in Trichy district of Tamil Nadu, which continued even for 900 pulse minutes.
Mr K.T.S. Tulsi, a senior Supreme Court lawyer appearing for the Tamil Nadu Government, had said: “We wanted to interrogate her but she had made herself scarce and is absconding.”
The police alleged that Usha was provided with free quarters at the mutt and large amounts of money were transferred to her through bank transactions. They also said: “Her involvement in the conspiracy and other allied matters were being probed since the seer regularly spoke to her before and after the murder.”
Other than his alleged involvement with Usha, the Shankarachya’s image as a “Jagadguru” has taken a severe beating with a renowned Tamil woman writer, Ms Anuradha Ramanan, alleging that some men close to the Kanchi Mutt had attempted to kill her when she spurned sexual advances made by the pontiff.
She told reporters that she met the Shankaracharya through a woman friend when the mutt had plans to start a religious magazine “Amma” in 1992.
She said she went to the mutt five times and met Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and during one such visit she found her woman friend in a compromising position with the seer.
Ms Ramanan alleged the Shankaracharya made an indecent gesture towards her and she asked him: “Are you fit enough to be a human being?” and fled.
She further alleged that later the Shankaracharya sent threatening messages to her stating: “You behave like a married woman though you do not have a husband. If you do not cooperate with me I will get at least 10 men to say that they have illicit relations with you.”
She said she had then consulted a woman police officer on lodging a complaint but refrained thinking about the future of her daughters.
Ms Ramanan further alleged that some persons tried to kill her by having a truck dash against her car in which she was travelling and another attempt was made on her life when she was receiving treatment in a hospital.
She said recently the chief of the special team, investigating the Sankararaman murder case, Mr. Premkumar, along with a woman Inspector, Ms Saraswathi, questioned her and she had given a detailed statement.
