The Hindu : Front Page : Case against Kanchi Acharya: differences within the police

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 10, 2004

Front Page

Front Page

Case against Kanchi Acharya: differences within the police

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, DEC. 9. At this juncture in the investigation of the Sankararaman murder case, in which the Kanchi Sankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi is the prime accused, senior police officers want to distance themselves from the side tracks and sleaze that the investigating team seems to be pursuing with full vigour.

The dominant view among senior Tamil Nadu police officers is that the investigation must focus sharply on the murder case, without dissipating its energies on probing alleged sexual exploitation and so on. Four teams have been formed to look into all other complaints that have cropped up, either against the senior Sankaracharya or others in the Kanchi Mutt. With that step, police officers feel, the focus has got diluted, and this can lend itself to the interpretation that a ``witch hunt'' is on.

A senior police officer at headquarters admits: "Yes, it could create a serious credibility problem for us if we miss the wood for the trees. The Government has taken a very serious step in arresting Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and many of us feel that it is the prime responsibility of the investigators to wrap up that case. Anything else can be taken up after filing a chargesheet in the Sankararaman case.''

Top priority

Confirming that, contrary to some media speculation, neither Appu nor Ravi Subramanian is being "held by the police illegally," police sources say that the top priority in the case now is to apprehend them; only when the duo is questioned will the final picture emerge about the conspiracy and execution of the murder.

Asked where the questioning of various women associated with the Mutt is leading, the sources explain: "It could throw some light on the functioning of the Mutt, but it cannot take the investigation into the murder very far. Basically, it is the circumstantial and corroborative evidence that is now being gathered. Once we have the two key players in the crime, there could be a major difference to the course of investigation."

It is being pointed out that one of the Superintendents of Police involved in the investigation has gone on leave, a couple of other officers have confined themselves to investigating just the murder, while the senior officers are waiting for an opportune time to convince the Government that the present multi-track approach will not help. While the prosecution led by the highly experienced and effective senior counsel, K.T.S. Tulsi, has conducted itself confidently and aggressively in the courts, the growing professional opinion within the police is that the Sankararaman murder investigation must sharpen its focus in order to keep up with the prosecution.

If the investigation fails to gather pace, the door will be open to legal objections that Sri Jayendra Saraswathi's remand is being prolonged without just cause. A chargesheet is to be filed in 60 days; failing this, it must be filed within 90 days. If the police are not able to meet these legal deadlines, the accused will be granted bail by the courts. It will soon be one month of judicial remand for the Kanchi Acharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi.

During this period, he has been in police custody for a few days. The prosecution has claimed in open court that there is a video recording of him ``admitting'' to his police interrogators that he was involved in the Sankararaman murder. This has been denied emphatically on the Sankaracharya's behalf.

Substantial progress has been made in the case; and the Madras High Court, while carefully avoiding expressing any opinion on the merits of the prosecution case, has stated in the order pronounced on December 8 that ``the materials relied upon by the prosecution ... would prima facie constitute `reasonable grounds to believe' that the petitioner is shown to be guilty of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life." But what is clear is that only the arrest of the don, Appu, and the building contractor, Ravi Subramanian — who allegedly constitute a vital link in the conspiracy and execution of Sankararaman's murder — will enable the police to wrap up the investigation and file a credible and robust chargesheet.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section

India conveys concern to U.S.

Parliament passes POTA Repeal Bill

Case against Kanchi Acharya: differences within the police

Police open fire to quell violent mob

Central observers in all Bihar Assembly constituencies: EC

Celebrating Sonia

Venue cleared

Issue for seven-Judge Bench

Tyson held