Chennai, December 8
Mr Justice R. Balasubramanian of the Madras High Court today dismissed the second bail application of Kanchi pontiff Jayendra Saraswati, upholding the prosecution’s written and oral submissions which contended that there were enough reasons to believe that the Acharya could be proved guilty of a murder offence.
In his 27-page order rejecting the bail plea the Judge ruled: “I cannot refrain from saying that the material relied upon by the prosecution would prima facie constitute reasonable grounds to believe
that the petitioner is shown to be guilty of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life.”
Reacting to the order, mutt sources said: ‘various options to move the Supreme Court are being investigated. Clarity in the matter will be known tomorrow.”
Jayendra Saraswati was arrested in Mehboob Nagar, Andhra Pradesh, on November 11 after being cited as the first accused in the case involving the murder of temple official in Kanchipuram, Sankararaman. The seer was remanded in judicial and police custody later by a Kanchipuram Magistrate. He will continue to be in Vellore Central Prison as a remand prisoner till December 10 if the Supreme Court does not intervene and grant him bail.
In another case of assault of mutt devotee S Radhakrishnan, the seer has been ordered to be in judicial custody till tomorrow. A magistrate in Chennai had waived the personal appearance of the pontiff and had said that the hearings could be held through video conference.
The same Judge had dismissed the earlier application of the seer on November 20.
Mr I. Subramanian, a senior advocate and former Advocate-General of Tamil Nadu, appeared for the seer and contended that the legislature had not fettered the High Court from granting bail under Section 439 of
CrPC.
