The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : A busy campus wears a deserted look

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 21, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

A busy campus wears a deserted look

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

Policemen posted at the entrance of the Kancheepuram Collectorate campus. - Photo: A. Muralitharan

KANCHEEPURAM, NOV. 20. Luckily, it was a week-end. Otherwise, the Collectorate campus here, now out of bounds to the people, would have been a centre of activity. Even the playground on the campus wore an empty look as boys could not play cricket. Morning walkers were also turned away. Only policemen stood guard there.

For, the campus also houses the Kancheepuram all-women police station, where the Kanchi Acharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, has been kept under police custody since Friday afternoon. Even before police custody was granted, the station was got ready to lodge the Sankaracharya, who was arrested in a murder case.

The police custody should end by 10.30 a.m. on Monday, but the police have filed a petition seeking another day's custody to complete interrogation.

Police sources say the Acharya is ``fully cooperating" with the probe team.

But if he is kept in the same station on Monday, the public access to the Collectorate campus can become a problem. It remains to be seen whether the police will move him out of Kancheepuram in case they secure another day's custody of the Acharya.

Mutt charge

In the morning, the Sankara Mutt manager, Sundaresa Iyer, expressed concern at "biksha" (food) for Sri Jayendra Saraswathi.

He said ``Our lawyers are of the view that the case was foisted on us and that the police are trying to collect evidence after arresting the Acharya."

Mr. Sundaresa Iyer regretted that the media was "unkind" to the Mutt in its coverage of the Sankararaman murder case.

Official sources, when contacted, said the Sankaracharya was being provided with a diet as he wished. It consisted mostly of raggi porridge, curd rice, fruits and chapattis.

According to legal sources, the Acharya was speaking only in "monosyllables" and that is why the police want another day's custody to try and make some progress in the investigations, particularly in relation to the role of Appu, who is suspected to be the kingpin.

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