Monday, January 9 2006 14:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Pondicherry: A sessions court here today (Jan 9,2006) adjourned to February two the hearing in the Sankararaman murder case, in which Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswati and his junior Vijayendra Saraswati are the main accused.

When the trial resumed today, the judge Chinnapandi also adjourned to January 20 the hearing in the objection raised by the defence counsel M Dinakaran on the issue whether or not the Tamil Nadu Public Prosecutor Balasundaram could handle the case in Pondicherry.

On December 12, the seer had filed a petition seeking an order that Special Public prosecutors appointed by the Tamil Nadu Government cannot function in the Union Territory. It said prosecutors appointed by the territorial administration alone could conduct the case.

Though Jayendra Saraswathi was present in the court today, his junior and another accused were absent.

There was tight police security around the court premises.

The case, in which 24 are accused, relates to the September 20, 2004, murder of a temple official Sankararaman.