Arguments in Sankararaman case from September 5

PUDUCHERRY: Arguments in the Sankararaman murder case will begin on September 5.Principal District and Sessions Judge T Ramaswamy, on Wednesday, fixed the date for arguments after viewing video recordings of the questioning of the accused during the course of investigation in the case.  The prosecution will begin arguments on September 5.The court viewed a total of nine videos and heard one audio recording. The videos contained the questioning of 12 of the total 24 accused.  The videos were displayed and viewed following a petition by Special Public Prosecutor N Devadoss, who wanted the court to consider the video recordings as “vital documents” relating to the case.The judge recorded the minutes of the proceedings in the presence of the counsels of both sides.Sankararaman, manager of the Varadarajaperumal Temple in Kancheepuram, was allegedly murdered on the premises of the temple on September 3, 2004.Kanchi Acharya Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi are the prime accused in the case.Of the total 189 witnesses, 81 turned hostile. The trial was shifted to Puducherry on a directive of the Supreme Court in October 2005.