Kancheepuram: The Kanchi Mutt today (Nov 24, 2004) expressed surprise over the arrest memo served on Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi in the case relating to the attack on a Mutt associate and said the basis for the action was not clear.

It had been stated that the Shankaracharya had been charged with attempt to murder for the attack on G Radhakrishnan, a resident of Chennai, in September 2002. "But, Radhakrishnan has been coming to the Mutt till recently. He came to the Mutt even a month back," Mutt sources said.

Spotlight: Kanchi Jayendra Saraswati's Arrest

Police had yesterday (Nov 23) formally arrested the Shankaracharya in the attack case by serving the arrest memo in the Vellore Prison where he is under remand till November 26 in connection with the murder of local temple official Sankararaman.

Meanwhile, a senior teacher at the Sanskrit college run by the Mutt disputed the claim by Anantha Sharma, son of Sankararaman, that the Mutt had sent feelers to him soon after the death of his father offering assistance and he refused it.

Stating that Sharma's claim was totally false, Madhava Sasthri said that it was he who had taken Sharma to meet Shankaracharya after all the religious rites (for Sankararaman) were completed. The Acharya blessed him and enquired him about his studies.

The Seer told him that if needed Sharma could seek any help that would be needed for further studies. After that the Shankaracharya went on a tour, the teacher said.