Kancheepuram: A local court yesterday (Dec 17, 2004) extended the remand of eight accused in the Sankararaman murder case, in which the Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi has been arrested, to December 31.

Judicial Magistrate-I G Uthamaraj extended the remand of 'Mattu' Bhaskar, Sylvester Stalin, Sekhar, Palani, 'Kuruvi' Ravi, Meenakshisundaram, K S Kumar and Anandakumar when they were produced before him for remand extension in connection with the murder case and Radhakrishnan assault case.

The accused complained that they were ill-treated and tortured by the police in prison.

Later, speaking to reporters outside the court, their lawyer Vijayabhasker said that he had submitted a petition to the magistrate on behalf of his clients, regarding their complaint. He said that he had also filed a complaint stating that he was not given permission to meet his clients in prison to discuss legal points. The police watched him when he talked to his clients and took notes, he said.

Vijayabhasker said that the magistrate has asked the prosecution lawyer to give a reply to the complaint by Dec 23.

The prosecution has cited the Kanchi Seer as the prime accused in the murder of Sankararaman, a Kancheepuram temple official on September 3. The Seer was arrested on November 11.

'Mattu' Bhaskar and Sylvester Stalin are the two other key accused in the murder case. Sekhar, Palani, and 'Kuruvi' Ravi are accused of arranging for a 'proxy' surrender of five persons falsely owning responsibility for the murder of Sakararaman while K S Kumar was one of the assailants of Sankararaman. Meenakshisundaram and Anandakumar are facing charges in the Radhakrishnan assault case in which the Seer was formally arrested on November 23.