Kancheepuram: Usha, recently questioned by police in connection with the Sankararaman murder case after her name was linked to Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi, today (Dec 8, 2004) made an in-camera statement before a court in nearby Uthiramerur.

The woman appeared before Judicial Sub-Magistrate Ramajayam and made her statement under Sec 164 of CrPC (relating to recording of confessions and statement) and the proceedings lasted one-and-a-half hours.

Later, speaking to reporters Usha said she had repeated whatever she had told the police when she appeared before them last week on her own after her name was linked to the seer, arrested in connection with the murder of Sankararaman.

Usha's lawyer Sudha Ramalingam said police might use her (Usha) as a prosecution witness.

The prosecution had on November 29 told the Madras High Court during the hearing on the bail application filed by the Seer that the Seer used to speak to Usha, then living in Srirangam, on phone for long durations and they were looking for her to find out if she had any role in the murder.

However, Usha made a sudden appearance before the special police team in Kancheepuram the very next day and said that she was a cancer patient and had been receiving financial assistance from the Mutt in view of her health problem and that she had not absconded as the police claimed.