Hearing in Sankararaman murder case adjourned to April 25

Puducherry, Apr 23: A local court today adjourned to April 25 further proceedings in the Sankararaman murder case, in which the Kanchi seers Jayendra Saraswathi and his junior Vijayendra are the prime accused.

Principal District and Sessions Judge CS Murugan adjourned the case as Padma, widow of Sankararaman, had filed a writ petition in the Madras High court seeking directions to Puducherry court to consider her petitions seeking police protection to her family and re-examination of herself, her son and daughter in the case.

Padma had told reporters on April 11 that she felt re-examination in the case was necessary as herself and her family members had been 'threatened' in the court premises here on August 6, 2009 by some persons while she was being taken to depose as a witness and told to give false evidence.

Padma's son Anand Kumar Sharma and daughter Uma Maitreyi had also deposed in the court then as witnesses. Sankarararman, Manager in the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kancheepuram, was allegedly murdered on the premises of the temple on September 3, 2004.

Jayendra and Vijayendra have been charged under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder). The trial was shifted to Puducherry court from Chengalpattu in Tamil Nadu by an October 2005 Supreme Court order on a petition filed by Jayendra Saraswathi. The two seers were exempted from personal appearance in the case.

PTI