Chennai, November 26
There was no relief for the Kanchi Shankaracharya facing the murder and attempt-to-murder charges in the courts in Tamil Nadu today. While the Metropolitan Judicial Magistrate here sent him to jail till December 9, the Kancheepuram Judicial Magistrate extended his judicial remand till December 10.

The Kancheepuram Judicial Magistrate, Mr G. Uttamarajan, extended the seer’s judicial remand by 15 days to December 10 in the Sankararaman murder case.

Around 11 am, Sri Jayendra Saraswati was taken to the Kancheepuram court from Vellore Central Prison amidst tight security. The court proceedings were over within few minutes.

The seer was then brought to Saidapet here and produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate in connection with the attempt-to-murder case, the second to be slapped on him.

Replying to Metropolitan Magistrate, Ms S. Uma Maheshwari, the seer said, “It does not seem to be a true case,” when she asked him about his involvement in an armed attack of Mr S. Radhakrishnan, a devotee of the Kanchi Mutt, in Chennai in September, 2002.

Assistant Public Prosecutor R. Jayarathinakumar told the Magistrate that Mr Radhakrishnan and his family members had been attacked by armed men at Foreshore Estate in the city in September, 2002. He said police investigation and interrogation of two accused involved in the Sankararaman murder case had revealed the “involvement” of the Shankaracharya in that attack too.

Earlier, Ms Maheshwari asked the seer whether he knew the grounds of his arrest. The Shankaracharya first kept quiet but nodded his head to say “yes” when his lawyer reminded him about the arrest warrant served on him at Vellore Central Prison on November 23 evening in connection with the Radhakrishnan case.

The Shankaracharya replied in the negative when the Magistrate asked him whether he was being harassed by the police. The seer was then escorted back to Vellore.

Soon after, the police produced two other accused, Kathiravan and Meenakshisundaram, alias Sundaram, who were also allegedly involved in both cases against the Shankaracharya. They were also remanded in judicial custody.

The police allege that like Sankararaman, who was hacked to death in his office inside the temple at Kancheepuram, Mr Radhakrishnan had also enraged the seer by trying to “expose his financial misdeeds and activities” through pamphlets. Mr Radhakrishnan, his wife and the family maid had been attacked by men armed with daggers near their house but were saved by neighbours though the assailants had managed to flee. The police claim that the modus operandi in both cases was same and some of the suspects were common. The police said today Sankararaman’s family today identified two accused, Kathiravan and Rajni, as they had visited their house inquiring about the victim prior to his murder on September 3.

Meanwhile, the Shankaracharya’s lawyers have filed a fresh bail petition in the Madras High Court in the murder case, which is likely to come up for hearing on Monday. His earlier bail petition was dismissed on Saturday. They have also moved the Principal Sessions Court here for bail in the Radhakrishnan attack case.

Chennai, November 26
The Tamil Nadu police yesterday produced another accused, Anil Kumar, in the Sankararaman murder case in which the Kanchi Shankaracharya is allegedly involved before the Kancheepuram Judicial Magistrate. Anil Kumar was remanded in police custody for two days by Magistrate G. Uttamarajan.

With this arrest, 19 persons have so far been arrested. Additional Deputy Superintendent of Police S.P. Sakthivel, the investigating officer in the case, told the court that Anil Kumar had procured and provided getaway vehicles to the alleged killers. The accused was arrested in Chennai on Wednesday, he added.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP yesterday demanded a fresh probe into the Sankararaman murder case in view of the retraction of depositions by two of the accused — Kathiravan and Chinna, alias Rajni.

The Central Government should effect the transfer of the case out of the state, BJP state secretary and MLA, H. Raja said in a statement.

“The Central Government must not continue to remain silent because the whole case has turned turtle,” he said.

The two accused had alleged police torture and stated that they had made statements under duress, naming the Kanchi seer as the ringleader.

Ranchi, November 26
BJP President L .K. Advani today called upon the “cream” of the party leaders to “strive for a giant leap forward” in the coming year as the party has “really been chosen at the instrument of the divine”.

While former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee tried to tone down the party’s return to the “Hindutva” agenda saying there was no difference between “Bharatiyata” and “Hindutva”, Mr Advani chose to evoke “nobility of mission” on the ground that the BJP was the chosen instrument of the divine in taking “our country out of its present problems coupled with the lofty ideals of all-round achievements”.

Hinting about the return of suspended party general secretary Uma Bharti to the party fold, Mr Advani said that though there was no discussion on her but once she returned from her leave “I will talk to her” as she has communicated a desire to talk to him.

Intensifying the party’s stand on Kanchi Shankaracharya issue, the BJP President demanded that the cases against the pontiff be transferred outside Tamil Nadu.

“We would not have made the demand if the judgement had come but there are some doubts about getting justice in Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the executive unanimously decided to demand shifting of the cases,” Mr Advani said.

When asked whether transfer of the cases would ensure free trial, Mr Advani said the judgement had not come and therefore their demand did not amount to any reflection on the Tamil Nadu court.

Mr Vajpayee, in his 10-minute address at the final session of the BJP’s three-day National Executive here, said there was no difference between Hinudtava and Bharatiyata as was being sought to be projected. “They are inter-changeable concepts differences if any, are similar to myself and Advaniji”, he added.

In his concluding address Mr Advani gave details of the challenges and tasks before the party which include making breakthroughs in states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh constituting nearly 25 per cent of the total Lok Sabha seats.

In his effort to enthuse the cadres, Mr Advani said that the BJP had a great opportunity coming its way in Karnataka where the Congress-JD(S) government was discrediting itself so fast that an early Assembly election could not be ruled out. He likened the opportunity in Karnataka to “a low-hanging fruit” for the BJP.

On “how quickly can we recover the lost ground in Uttar Pradesh”, Mr Advani told the delegates about the tasks before the party and stressed that they should make efforts to expand the party’s base among those sections of society which had remained outside its influence so far.

In an indirect reference to indiscipline in the party, Mr Advani said that “Once we know what we are doing is noble and lofty because it is going to make India a stronger nation and a better place for every Indian to live in. That will wash away the imperfections in us.”

Confronted with a volley of questions over the BJP being the chosen instrument of the divine, Mr Advani defended the use of word “divine” saying that “only atheists can have objection” to this word but “I could have used the word destiny also”.

Mr Advani put a stop to speculation about cine star Shatrughan Sinha being projected as a chief ministerial candidate by the party in Bihar. The party also adopted a resolution on the unprecedented price rise and said that a massive demonstration against it would be held before Parliament on December 1.

Ranchi, November 26
BJP President L.K. Advani today effected a major reshuffle of organisational posts retaining party Vice-President M.A. Naqvi as in charge of Himachal Pradesh, party General Secretary Shivraj Singh Chauhan as in charge of the election bound Haryana, and Delhi and bringing in former Cricketer and MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Siddhu as joint convener of the party’s Sports Cell.

Mr Advani appointed Ms Jaskaur Meena as in charge of Punjab, Mr Manohar Lal as in charge of Jammu and Kashmir and Ms Kiran Maheshwari as in charge of Chandigarh.

The party chief has appointed former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh as in charge of Uttar Pradesh and while retaining party General Secretary Pramod Mahajan as in charge of Maharashtra, where the party recently lost the Assembly polls. He has also been made in charge of Goa.

Former Union Minister Arun Jaitley has been appointed in charge of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Senior party leaders Kalraj Mishra and Rajnath Singh have been given charge of Rajasthan and Jharkhand respectively.

Distributing responsibilities to the newly constituted party office bearers, the party president also appointed former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha to head the external affairs cell and Ravi Shanker Prasad to the legal and investors cell.

Party Vice-President M.A. Naqvi would also be looking after election and sahyog cell of the party.

Former Union Ministers Ananth Kumar and Shahnawaz Hussain have been appointed in charge of Chhatisgarh and Orissa, while Bandaru Dattatraya and Ved Prakash Goel would look after Tamil Nadu and Karnataka respectively.

While Sushil Kumar Modi has been assigned West Bengal, Om Prakash Mathur would be looking after party-ruled state of Gujarat.

Former Union Minister Rajeev Pratap Rudy has been given the charge of Sikkim beside heading the party’s cell on industry, trade and commerce.

Former Union Ministers Vikram Verma and Sahib Singh Verma would be heading sports and labour cells respectively. Navjot Singh Siddhu has been made joint convener of the sports cell.

New Delhi, November 26
Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti today claimed that action taken against a miniscule of corrupt Judges had sent shock waves and fence-sitters had started mending their way.

“Wherever corruption has shown its face, it is because we have failed in taking timely steps for preventing such incidents,” he said in his inaugural address at the “Law Day” function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in the precincts of the apex court here.

Unveiling his plan to tackle corruption in judiciary, the CJI said great caution had to be exercised while appointing a Judge so that the decision could not be regretted later.

He said sending a clear signal that any kind of corruption would not be tolerated and steps to train judges to achieve high degree of professionalism and competence would help in making judiciary free from corruption.

He said in 2004, 31 members of subordinate judiciary were denied extension beyond the age of 58 years while 79 judicial officers were shown the door by dismissal, removal and compulsory retirement.

Union Law Minister H.R. Bharadwaj addressing the gathering said parties playing politics over Kanchi Sankaracharya’s arrest in a murder case should exercise restraint as it takes a “little longer” in law to establish the truth.

On the proposal from the Home Ministry for drafting a model law to prevent communal disturbances and help victims thereof, the minister said a committee comprising officials from the law and Home Ministry had been set up to look into all aspects of the proposal and suggest a draft 
legislation.

He said information and technology would play a big role in the modernisation of courts and the Government had prepared a blue print for extensive upgradation regarding the computerisation of high courts at a cost of Rs 25 crores during this financial year.

The 14938 district courts in the country would be computerised in phases, he said adding that the work had already started in the 700 courts in four metros at a cost of Rs 18 crore.

He said 900 courts in the state capitals would be computerised in the next phase at a cost of Rs 25 crore and the third phase would involve computerisation of 3475 courts at a cost of Rs 103 crore.