Friday, January 21 2005 15:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kancheepuram: Chargesheet in the sensational Sankararaman murder case, in which the Seers of Kanchi, Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi have been arrested, was filed by the special investigation team (SIT) in the judicial Magistrate-I court today (Jan 21, 2005).

The chargesheet, running to 1,873 pages, filed by the Superintendent of Police, K Premkumar, charged both the Seers with conspiring to murder Sankararaman, an official of Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kancheepuram on September 3, 2004.

Premkumar later told newsmen that the chargesheet had been accepted by the Magistrate and copies of it would be ready by Monday or Tuesday next and given to the accused by next day.

The charges could attract sentences ranging from three years RI (rigorous imprisonment) to capital punishment as they had been charged under Sec302 (murder) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code).

The charges had been framed on the basis of evidences given by 370 witnesses, Premkumar said adding, "this also included circumstantial evidences". The trial would be conducted in a regular court.

Asked whether the prosecution case would stand up in the court, Premkumar said 40 to 50 witnesses had already given statements before the Magistrate.

Premkumar said the murder occurred in Varadaraja Perumal temple. "It is between the temple and the Acharya. I am only an instrument. We have established the guilt of the accused."

Asked whether Jayendra could go to the Shankara Mutt in Kancheepuram, Prem Kumar said, "It is a law. I cannot say anything on that now".

Police sources said the chargesheet contained set of evidences, which had not been furnished before the Supreme Court in the bail plea of Jayendra. "This is significant in the light of Ravi Subramaniam's wish to turn an approver."

Premkumar was accompanied by additional SP and Investigating officer, K Sakthivelu and special public prosecutor, K Sampath.

Before filing the chargesheet, the police took it to the Varadaraja Perumal temple, where Sankararaman was murdered, to invoke the blessings of the presiding deity there.

The police went ahead with the filing of the chargesheet today though it was a Government holiday on account of 'Eid-ul-Zuha'.

The 25 people charged in the case are Jayendra Saraswathi, Vijayendra Saraswathi, Kanchi Mutt manager Sundaresa Iyer, Raghu, brother of Vijayendra Saraswathi, Appu alias Krishnaswamy, Ravi Subramaniam, Kathiravan, Rajiv alias Chinna, K S Kumar, Ananthakumar, 'Mattu' Bhaskar, Sylvester alias Stalin, Anil alias Anilkumar, Ambi alias Ambikapathy, Palani, Kuruvi Ravi, Sekar, Senthilkumar, Arumugam, Meenakshisundram, Arumugam, Dil Pandiyan, Sathish, Devarajan and Arun.

In all depositions of 370 witnesses and 712 documents had been filed along with the chargesheet.

Jayendra Saraswathi was arrested at Mehboobnagar in Andhra Pradesh on November 11, 2004 and Vijayendra Saraswathi was taken into custody on January 10 last. Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi are cited as accused number one and two respectively in the chargesheet.

Ravi Subramaniam had given an in camera statement under section 164 of the CrPC before the Magistrate, which, according to police, had led to the discovery that Vijayendra Saraswathi was actually the number two accused in this case, and not just remotely connected as originally believed.

Ravi Subramaniam had turned an approver in the case and had made a statement at a Chengalpattu court yesterday.

Mutt manager Sundaresa Iyer, who also has been accused in the Sankararaman case, has also been charged with tampering of records of the Mutt accounts, and the accountant Viswanatha Iyer has been charged with complicity.

Provisions of the Goondas Act also have been invoked against eight accused in the case directly involved in the murder and falsifying of evidence.