Chennai, January 18
The junior pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt was today remanded in police custody for day by the Kancheepuram Judicial Magistrate, Mr G. Uttamaraja.

Sri Vijayendra Saraswati, who was arrested on January 10 on the charge of murdering Vardaraja Perumal temple manager Sankararaman on which his guru Shankaracharya was held earlier, was remanded in judicial custody and lodged in Chennai Central Prison here.

He was taken this morning to Kancheepuram, 70 km from here, with strong police security and produced in the court in the afternoon.

The prosecution asked for a five-day police custody, alleging that the junior seer was a conspirator in the murder case and had disbursed money to the hired assassins.

However, the defence countered, saying that he had already been questioned many times by the special investigation team prior to his arrest.

The magistrate after hearing both sides reserved his judgment and around 5 pm ordered the seer to police custody for a day for questioning.

Sri Vijayendra Saraswati will remain in the custody of the SIT at Kancheepuram till 5 pm tomorrow and after the ruling was shifted to the Forest Bungalow there.

While he was being produced in court, reporters rushed to the junior seer, but he refused to speak to them.

However, when asked whether he had any differences with the Shankaracharya and whether a third pontiff was appointed, he nodded his head in the negative. He agreed that though the Mutt’s reputation had been sullied due to the recent criminal cases, it would come out of it successfully.