Probe into alleged bid to influence verdict in case against Kanchi seer complete

Justice K Suguna had on August 25 stayed the trial in the murder case before a Puducherry Court for eight weeks, on a petition by an advocate, Sundararajan.

The petitioner had sought a stay on the trial and a direction to the Registrar (Vigilance) to commence a statutory investigation by filing an FIR on his complaint (regarding the tapes) lodged on August 18 last and a re-trial of the case.

When the matter came up today, counsel for the registry R Suresh Kumar told Justice Suguna that the inquiry report had been received and would be placed before the administrative committee of the high court which would then take a decision.

He sought adjournment of the case by two weeks.

Sankararaman, Manager of the Sri Varadarajaperumal temple in Kancheepuram, was murdered in September 2004. Police have charged the seer and his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi with involvement in the murder out of previous enmity.

Meanwhile, counsel for N Sundaresan, then Manager of the Kanchi Mutt, an accused in the murder case, requested the court for an early hearing of the petition filed by his client to implead him in Sundararajan's petition and to vacate the stay on the murder case proceedings.

The Judge posted the matter for hearing on October 20.

The murder trial was shifted to Puducherry from a Chengalpattu court on a directive by the Supreme Court on a writ petition filed by the senior Sankaracharya in October 2005.