SC to hear seer’s plea on bail denial tomorrow

The HC had earlier rejected the bail on November 20. The SLP questioned if the subordinate, Sessions Court and the High Court exercise special powers in granting bail. ‘‘Is not the finding of the Madras High Court that the statutory mandate prescribed under Section 437 (l)(i) applies to Section 439 and hence the accused is disabled from coming out on bail erroneous?’’ the SLP asked. Raising technical questions of law, the petitioner submitted that the HC had erred in deying bail to the seer.

The Shankaracharya, in judicial custody at Vellore, submitted that Sankararaman used to be associated with the earlier seer, the Paramacharya, till the latter’s demise in 1994. ‘‘Having been accustomed to the very traditional and orthodox approach of the Paramacharya in all activities of the Kancheepuram Mutt, Sankararaman was not well disposed towards Swami Jayendra Saraswati, who though a Vedic scholar, was extending the activities of the Mutt to various other fields of education, health care and providing basic needs to the rural poor,’’ he submitted. ‘‘By stages, Sankararaman became more and more disenchanted with the present pontiff…as a result, after the demise of the Paramacharya, Sankararaman disassociated himself from the Mutt and came to be employed at the Varadaraja Swami temple as its manager.’’

The deceased (Sankararaman) then began criticising Swami Jayendra Saraswati and sent out letters not only to officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Board but also to the general public, he said. ‘‘Sankararaman went to the extent of accusing the petitioner of mismanaging the affairs of various trusts run by the Mutt…In fact, he had filed a PIL opposing a scheduled religious visit.. .to China…(saying) religious seers should not cross the seas as it was prohibited by the Shastras.’’ The PIL was dismissed by the HC.

The Acharya also submitted there was no evidence, even prima facie, of his conversation with the alleged assailants of Sankararaman. Besides, the Mutt has no ICICI account, a fact skipped in the counter-affidavit filed by the Additional Superintendent of Police, Chief Investigating Officer in the case, the petition said.

Meanwhile, a five-member NDA team led by BJP MP Balbir Punj today charged that the Tamil Nadu police had embarked on a ‘‘fishing expedition’’ and were terrorising the Kanchi mutt to get evidence against Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati in the Shankararaman murder case or another case. The team also claimed the Shankaracharya had said he was mentally tortured in custody. The team met the Shankaracharya after visiting the Kanchi mutt and speaking to inmates and employees.