Friday, April 1 2005 21:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Relaxing the bail condition, the Madras High Court today (Apr 1, 2005) dispensed with the appearance of Kanchi Seer Jayendra Saraswathi once a week before the investigating officer, probing cases against the Kanchi Mutt and its Seers at Kancheepuram.

The bail condition was relaxed by Justice M Thanikachalam on a petition filed by Jayendra Saraswathi.

Last month the High Court, while granting anticipatory bail to the Shankaracharya, who feared arrest in connection with a complaint filed by Chitra, wife of Ravi Subramaniam, accused-turned-approver in the Sankararaman murder case, had directed him to appear before the investigating officer every Saturday afternoon.

Chitra had alleged that her husband had been threatened and induced to retract his statement implicating the Seer in the murder case.

A petition by the Jayendra filed for the same relief in the principal sessions court in another case would be heard on Monday.

On February 24, Principal Judge, P Murugesan, while granting him anticipatory bail in a case relating to the alleged assault on a temple priest Thirukottiyur Madhavan in the city on August 3 last, had directed him to appear before a Judicial Magistrate at Kancheepuram every Saturday.

Stating that he had been complying with the court order, the Shankaracharya, in his petition, prayed the court to dispense with future appearance before Magistrate.