KANCHEEPURAM: Nearly three months after the filing of the charge sheet in the Sankararaman murder case, a Kancheepuram court on Wednesday committed the case to the Court of Sessions at Chengalpattu.

G. Uthamaraj, Judicial Magistrate-I, directed all the accused to appear before the district sessions court on April 27.

All the accused, except the Kanchi Acharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, and approver Ravi Subramaniam were present today. A petition seeking to dispense with the Acharya's presence, filed by counsel K.S. Dinakaran, was allowed.

Assistant public prosecutor S. Thyagarajan objected to the Acharya's petition filed on Tuesday, pleading his inability to attend the court today. The magistrate said the accused should be present to answer questions during the committal. However, Mr. Dinakaran and another counsel, A. Shanmugham, said they were appearing on behalf of the accused. The prosecution agreed to the counsel's request.

Gets undertaking

The magistrate got an undertaking from counsel that his client would not raise any plea of prejudice by the committal of the case. Tuesday's petition was later dismissed as not pressed.

The magistrate asked the accused whether they had obtained documents and knew that the case was being committed and whether they could engage advocates.

After answering the questions, the accused affixed their signatures. The Junior Acharya, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, affixed his left thumb impression. Mr. Shanmugham signed on behalf of the senior Acharya. Copies of the deposition by the approver were given to the accused.

A relaxed junior Acharya was seen talking to his brother Raghu and the Mutt manager, K. Sundaresa Iyer.

P. Solomon Francis, representing Meenakshisundaram, an accused, complained to the magistrate that his client, who was in judicial custody, was handcuffed and brought with a leading chain.Today, he was beaten up inside the van. Such ill treatment should be stopped, counsel said.

The accused told the magistrate that he was suffering from diarrhoea and showed the tablets given in jail. He alleged that escort personnel beat him up, stating he was trying to escape. On being summoned, an escort official denied that the accused was ill-treated. The magistrate said he heard some commotion. There should be no ill treatment. Any violation would be viewed seriously, he warned.

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