09-06-2005, 04:43 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Don't frame charges against Sankaracharya till Oct 4: SC </b>
Sept 5, 2005
New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) Virtually staying the framing of charges against Kanchi Sankaracharya and the junior pontiff in the Sankarraman murder case, the Supreme Court today exempted them from personal appearance before the Chengalpattu trial Court while asking it not to frame charges till October 4.
This was the direction passed by a Bench comprising Chief Justice R C Lahoti, Justice G P Mathur and Justice P K Balasubramanyan on the petition filed by Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati seeking transfer of the trial outside Tamil Nadu accusing the Government of persecuting him.
Appearing for the Seer, senior advocate Fali Nariman termed the decision of the trial court to fix September 5 for framing of charges against the accused as an "oppressive order hitting at the religion of the accused" as for the last 2500 years the Sankaracharya and his junior were always at Tirupati to offer prayer for the "Chaturmasya brat".
Taking into account the difficulties faced by the seers, the Bench said it would hear the transfer petition on October four and directed the trial court not to frame charges till then and exempted the two seers from personal appearance.
However, the apex Court agreed with the Tamil Nadu government's plea for continuance of the proceedings on the question of framing charges.
The Sankaracharya was arrested in November last year in connection with the murder of mutt officials Sankarraman, whose widow S Padma Sankarraman was today permitted by the Court to file application seeking impleadment in the case.
www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cpti...enDocument <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sept 5, 2005
New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) Virtually staying the framing of charges against Kanchi Sankaracharya and the junior pontiff in the Sankarraman murder case, the Supreme Court today exempted them from personal appearance before the Chengalpattu trial Court while asking it not to frame charges till October 4.
This was the direction passed by a Bench comprising Chief Justice R C Lahoti, Justice G P Mathur and Justice P K Balasubramanyan on the petition filed by Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati seeking transfer of the trial outside Tamil Nadu accusing the Government of persecuting him.
Appearing for the Seer, senior advocate Fali Nariman termed the decision of the trial court to fix September 5 for framing of charges against the accused as an "oppressive order hitting at the religion of the accused" as for the last 2500 years the Sankaracharya and his junior were always at Tirupati to offer prayer for the "Chaturmasya brat".
Taking into account the difficulties faced by the seers, the Bench said it would hear the transfer petition on October four and directed the trial court not to frame charges till then and exempted the two seers from personal appearance.
However, the apex Court agreed with the Tamil Nadu government's plea for continuance of the proceedings on the question of framing charges.
The Sankaracharya was arrested in November last year in connection with the murder of mutt officials Sankarraman, whose widow S Padma Sankarraman was today permitted by the Court to file application seeking impleadment in the case.
www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cpti...enDocument <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->