Two more witnesses turn hostile in Sankararaman murder case

Puducherry, Jan 24 (PTI) Two more prosecution witnessestoday turned hostile during the trial in the Sankararamanmurder case in which Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathiis the prime accused.

When the hearing in the case resumed before PrincipalDistrict and Sessions Judge K Ramalingam, two of the fivewitnesses examined turned hostile.

Of the 130 witnesses examined so far since thecommencement of the trial some two years ago, as many as 67have turned hostile.

Sankararaman, Manager of the Varadararjaperumal temple inKancheepuram, was allegedly murdered on the premises of thetemple on September 3, 2004.

Besides Jayendra Saraswathi, his junior VijayendaraSaraswathi is also the prime accused in the case. The two hadbeen accused of hatching a conspiracy to murder Sankararaman.

Of the 24 accused only nine were present during the trialtoday and the absentees included the two seers.

Special public Prosecutor N.Devadoss said the twowitnesses who turned hostile were retired Tamil NaduGovernment officers. They had contradicted the statements theyhad made earlier before the police in Kancheepuram.

The trial was shifted to Puducherry from Chengalpattudistrict court on Supreme Court''s order in October 2005.

The Special Public Prosecutor told PTI that the MadrasHigh Court has issued directive to the Puducherry court toaccord priority to the case and conduct the hearing on day today basis.