Usha turns up before cops

Even as the Madras High Court reserved its orders on the second bail application from the seer, the woman with whom the seer allegedly had ...

Even as the Madras High Court reserved its orders on the second bail application from the seer, the woman with whom the seer allegedly had long telephone conversations every morning presented herself before the police here.

Usha, a resident of Srirangam, was wanted for interrogation in the Sankararaman murder case. Sudha Ramalingam and Arivu Nidhi, the two advocates representing her, told newspersons that Usha was not 8216;8216;hiding or absconding8217;8217; as was made out by the prosecution yesterday and that she was 8216;8216;very much available here for any inquiry8217;8217;.

The advocates said Usha was a cancer patient and she was a beneficiary of the Kanchi Maths8217;s 8216;8216;generous help8217;8217;.

8216;8216;She Usha is not absconding or hiding and she had presented herself before the police here for any inquiry,8217;8217; the advocates said.

During the hearing of the bail plea of the seer, the prosecution had told the HC yesterday that the pontiff had extensive telephone conversations with Usha. 8216;8216;We wanted to interrogate her but she had made herself scarce and is absconding,8217;8217; K.T.S. Tulsi, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, had said.

Police had contended that the conversation between the seer and Usha often lasted till 900 pulse units. The woman was provided with free quarters and large sums of money were periodically transferred to her bank account.

8216;8216;Her involvement in the conspiracy and other allied matters were being probed since the seer regularly spoke to her before and after the murder,8217;8217; the police had said.

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Today, Justice R. Balasubramanian reserved the orders on the seer8217;s second bail plea after listening to exhaustive arguments by the petitioner8217;s senior counsel I. Subramanian and that of the prosecution, K.T.S. Tulsi.

Directing public prosecutor K. Doraisamy to produce the case diary from the date of judicial remand, the judge reserved the orders.

Meanwhile, the Principal Sessions Judge has posted for December 3, arguments on the bail application from the Acharya in the Radhakrishnan assault case.

Earlier, Subramanian had submitted that the prosecution had not proved the charge of conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt. The retraction of the confessional statement given by one of the accused, Kathiravan, before a Magistrate had hit the case.

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The other two material evidences 8212; seizure of cell phone, call details and withdrawal of huge money and the distribution 8212; could not be held as valid evidences. The prosecution had failed to give the details and the nature of the conversation over cell-phone and the money withdrawal charge was vague. There was no development in the case, he said.

Tulsi argued that even at the stage of conviction or trial, the conspiracy angle was not required to be proved beyond reasonable doubt.