Tuesday, January 11 2005 14:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Even before being released from Vellore prison after obtaining bail in the Sankararaman murder case, Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi has moved the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai for bail, apprehending arrest in a third case.

The case relates to an assault on a temple priest Tirukoshtiyur Mahadevan in the city about two years ago.

The Seer is anticipating arrest under IPC sections 424 (dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property) and 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

The petition would come up later today (Jan 11, 2005).

Yesterday (Jan 10, 2005), the Supreme Court had granted the Seer bail in the murder case, with a direction that he should not enter the Kanchi Mutt till investigation in the case was over and the chargesheet was filed.

The Shankaracharya had also obtained bail from the Madras High Court on January 3 in a second case relating to an assault of a temple official Radhakrishnan on September 20, 2002 at his city residence.

Meanwhile, an advocate for the Shankaracharya K S Dinakaran said that the anticipatory bail petition was being filed as the Seer apprehended that he would be falsely implicated in the case to harass and humiliate him.

Charging the special team investigating charges against the Seer with indulging in mudslinging, Dinakaran told media persons outside the Vellore prison that the team was "feeding false information to the press".

He said that an advocate Shanmugham of the Kanchi Mutt was on his way to Chennai from Kancheepuram with necessary orders for the release of the Seer from the Vellore prison, where he has been lodged since November 11, 2004.