The Hindu : National : Acharyas meet in court

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 11, 2005

National

National

Acharyas meet in court

By Our Special Correspondent

KANCHEEPURAM, FEB.10. It was the first meeting today between the two Sankaracharyas of the Kanchi Mutt after the senior Acharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, was arrested in Mahbubnagar, near Hyderabad, on November 11. The junior Acharya, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, met his guru in the court hall of the Judicial Magistrate-I, Kancheepuram, where they were present in connection with the Sankararaman murder case.

When the case was taken up for hearing, a smiling senior Acharya virtually squeezed his way through and stood near the rostrum with the `thandam' (holy staff) in hand. As soon as Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi entered the court hall, he touched the feet of his guru and stood by his side. The senior Acharya, visibly tired after his journey to the court from Kalavai where he is staying on bail conditions, leaned on the wooden rack used to keep the court files. The two Acharyas listened to the court proceedings and also exchanged words.

After the court extended the remand, the Acharyas were again engaged in a conversation. The Chief Investigating Officer, S. P. Sakthivelu, Additional Superintendent of Police, tried to draw the attention of the court staff to ask the Acharyas to leave.

Before leaving the hall, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi again touched his guru's feet. After coming out of the court, he met his lawyers and later boarded the police van to Chennai.

Soon after the arrival of Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi at Kancheepuram from Mahbubnagar on November 16, the Mutt authorities planned to facilitate a meeting between the two Acharyas at the Central Prison, Vellore, where the senior Acharya had been lodged. However, the plan did not work out.

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