New Delhi Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi is the main accused in the in the Sankararaman murder case in 2004.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday transferred the trial of Sankararaman murder case to Pondicherry court, in which Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi is an accused.
The case pending before principal sessions judge, Chengalpet was transferred to principal sessions judge, Pondicherry.
The verdict was given by a bench comprising Chief Justice R C Lahoti and Justice G P Mathur on a petition filed by Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi.
Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi had earlier alleged that the surcharged atmosphere in Tamil Nadu was not conducive to a free and fair trial in the state.
Reacting to SC?s decision transferring seer?s case to Pondicherry, The Vishva Hindu Parishad said that the SC order transferring trial of the Kanchi Shankaracharyas in the Sankararaman murder case to Pondicherry ?proved? that the Tamil Nadu government was ?biased? against them.
VHP senior vice-president Acharya Giriraj Kishore expressed confidence that both the seers will get justice ?even if delayed?.
The VHP had been at the forefront of the agitation against the arrest of the Shankaracharya.
On September 5, the Supreme Court asked the trial court at Kancheepuram not to frame charges against Shankaracharya and the junior pontiff in the Sankararaman murder case till October 4.
The court however allowed the trial court to continue with its proceedings and hearings on the question of charge against all the accused persons including the Kanchi seers.
The court also exempted the two seers from personal appearance till that day.
Earlier, Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi had filed a petition in the SC seeking transfer of the trial of Sankararaman murder case against him outside Tamil Nadu.
The seer had said that he would not be able to get a fair trial in Tamil Nadu as the chief minister and government are showing ?particular? interest in the case.
He alleged that though charge sheet in the case was filed on January 21, a copy thereof was given to him by the prosecution three months later.
On February 8, 2005, summon was issued to Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi in connection with the Sankararaman murder case.
Seer?s counsel happy over transfer of case
K S Dinakran, a counsel for Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, expressed happiness over SC?s order transferring the Sankararaman murder case to a Pondicherry court.
He said that he had come to know that even some advocates were apprehensive of representing the seer.
However, Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy has demanded that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa withdraw the case against the Sankaracharyas before Deepavali.
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