<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->"The police had neither collected nor placed any material before the detaining authority to show that as a result of the murder of Sankararaman, a Kancheepuram temple official, public order and even the tempo of life had been greatly affected," the judges observed.
Holding that the incidents quoted in the detention order did not amount to disturbance of public order, they said the failure of the detaining authority to verify about the applicability of the disturbance to public order in these cases would vitiate the detention orders and therefore "they are held to be not legal and accordingly quashed."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Also..
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Counsel for Sundaresa Iyer and Raghu said they are likely to move the High Court for bail in the Sankararaman case in which Kanchi Seers Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi are the prime accused.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I hope this happens soon so that Sri Iyer can get some relief.
When in 2006 ? I was just wondering how long will the case languish before some new spins will come out ?
And lets say if JJ is kicked out and that other mobster comes in, how will that impact the case ? Will he get a clean slate to abuse the acharya all over again ? Personally i think all efforts should be made to get rid of these cases before JJ gets kicked out.
<!--QuoteBegin-rajesh_g+May 5 2005, 01:08 PM-->QUOTE(rajesh_g @ May 5 2005, 01:08 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> When in 2006 ? I was just wondering how long will the case languish before some new spins will come out ?
And lets say if JJ is kicked out and that other mobster comes in, how will that impact the case ? Will he get a clean slate to abuse the acharya all over again ? Personally i think all efforts should be made to get rid of these cases before JJ gets kicked out. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think the 5 year is getting over in May 2006, which means that the elections can be held as early as Oct-Nov 2005 (upto 6 months before expiry).
But I dont think JJ will call it early. Call it early and lose 6 months of power? (I sometimes wonder, if the NDA had stayed the full term until Nov 2004 and not called elections 6 months early, would Sankaraman have got killed in Sep 2004? and would Kachi acharyas been arrested?)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Chennai, May 5: <b>In a major setback to the Tamil Nadu government, the Madras High Court today set aside the detention of 11 accused </b>in the Sankararaman murder case, including Raghu, brother of junior Sankaracharya Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, Kanchi mutt manager Sundaresa Iyer and Appu, under the Goondas Act.
Allowing habeas corpus petitions challenging their detentions under the Act, which is normally invoked to maintain public order and against habitual offenders, a Division Bench comprising Justice M Karpagavinayagam and Justice C Nagappan said the police had not justified their action detaining them under the Act.
"The police had neither collected nor placed any material before the detaining authority to show that as a result of the murder of Sankararaman, manager of the Kancheepuram Varadarajaperumal temple, public order and even the tempo of life had been greatly affected," the judges observed.
Holding that the incidents quoted in the detention order did not amount to disturbance to public order, they said the failure of the detaining authority to verify about the applicability of the disturbance to public order in these cases would vitiate the detention orders and therefore "they are held to be not legal and accordingly quashed."
The detenus were directed to be set at liberty forthwith unless required in connection with any other case.
Counsel for Sundaresa Iyer and Raghu said they are likely to move the High Court for bail in the Sankararaman case in which Kanchi seers Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi are the prime accused.
The brother of Raghu, who had moved the habeas corpus petition, had alleged that the detention of his brother under the Goondas Act was mala fide and passed solely to stifle Raghu's attempt to secure bail in the Sankararaman case.
Claiming that there was no nexus or proximity between the incident and the January 21 last detention order, the petitioner alleged that the "detaining authority has erred in branding the detenu as a goonda".
The government had invoked the Goondas Act against 16 of the 24 accused in the case. (Our Correspondent)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>VHP tells TN Govt to withdraw cases against Kanchi seers </b>
PTI/ Coimbatore
The VHP on Monday asked the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw cases against the Kanchi Sankaracharyas and pave the way for their release before the issue boomeranged on it.
Briefing reporters about the deliberations on the VHP's two-day executive meeting, VHP all-India international vice-president S Vedantham alleged that a "mini emergency-like" situation was prevailing in the state where both acharyas and other staff of the Kanchi mutt had been arrested and were being "mentally tortured".
"Since a petition was pending before the Supreme Court, seeking transfer of cases to another state, it would be better if the government withdrew the cases and pave the way for the release of the seers. Otherwise, there was every possibility that it would boomerang on the government," he said. <b>Asked whether the VHP feared that cases would be booked against the acharyas under the narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances act, he said. "The government may go to any extent."</b>
Referring to RSS chief KS Sudarshan's statement on BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, he said though he did not have the full text, "It is a welcome statement and should be applicable to all".Â
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Dark Days for a Guru</b>
Cleo Paskal
Weekend National Post
May 7, 2005 www.nationalpost.com
The most famous alleged murderer in India speaks quietly, almost in a whisper, which in the still evening air sounds more like the muted rustle of leaves than a human voice. Until he giggles, which is often. Even by Indian political soapopera standards, the case of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi is remarkable. As the 69th Acharya (religious leader) of Kanchi Mutt  a 2,500-year-old temple complex in the southern state of Tamil Nadu  he is the closest thing Hinduism has to a pope. He has hundreds of millions of followers worldwide, including in Canada. And he has been charged in connection with the scandalous murder case of a manager from another temple. Other elements of the bizarre convoluted case include an ex-film-star-turnedpolitico and her live-in same-sex companion. Many believe the links in the case stretch all the way up to Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Out of jail on bail, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi has agreed to talk to me, his first formal audience with a journalist. We canât talk about his case, so we cover politics and, of course, religion.
<b>âItâs not just religion that needs to grow, but morality as well,â</b> says the Hindu guru. âMorality is not restricted to religion alone, it pervades all your life. You have to educate children. And bring a moral dimension to the media. As long as there is a commercial aspect to the media, we canât expect the truth. If the youth and the media change, then politics change.âSri Jayendra Saraswathi was chosen as a child to be the 69th Acharya, and grew up in the rarified air of the temple. The modest compound where he now lives, with white-washed walls and pilgrims in white wrap-around leg coverings, has a free clinic, a school for the physically challenged and a nursing home for the elderly. Dr. V., who guided me around the temple and is my interpreter, is a London-trained neurologist. Like many of the temple workers, he volunteers out of religious conviction.
As the leader of 860 million Indian Hindus, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi is revered as much for his modern ways as he is by dint of ancient tradition. One of his most influential moves was to open the temples and centres of Hindu learning to everyone  all castes, women, Muslims, Christians and anyone else who was interested. The wider he opened the gates, the larger his following grew  and his influence. That influence has also been felt socially and politically. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi became a powerful ally to the Hindu nationalists and their political party, the BJP. And he became a threat to other centres of political power. It is said, albeit in hushed whispers, that one of his biggest enemies is the powerful Sonia Gandhi, who leads the BJPâs political rival, the Congress Party.
The top politician in the state of Tamil Nadu is chief minister Dr. Jayalalithaa, a flamboyant former actress who calls herself âPuratchi Thalaiviâ (Revolutionary Leader). She had a famously difficult adolescence growing up in the adult world of film before she finally made the switch to the real stage, in politics. As her power grew, Jayalalithaa started calling herself âAmmaâ or mother, to better distance herself from her sultry past. In her early days in political office, she implemented much-needed social and education programs and was highly regarded. But soon, there were mutterings about the undue influence of her live-in âbest friend,â Ms. Sasikala. Most of the whispers were about the sudden prosperity of Ms. Sasikalaâs friends and family.
Amma started courting the Hindu vote. She passed an anticonversion bill aimed at slowing the progress of Evangelical conversions. She began a program to feed children at temples, rather than at school. But she was a Brahmin in a state with a small Brahmin population. And she was losing popularity. Then, on Sept.3, 2004, at approximately 5:45 p.m., the manager of another religious complex in the state, not the Acharyaâs, was attacked and left dead on the floor of his temple. It was a shock. No one was sure who had killed him. Or why. He had been a strident man, complaining about myriad perceived improprieties, including ones allegedly committed by the Kanchi Mutt hierarchy itself. But strident people are not uncommon, especially in a temple town.
Two months later, on Nov. 11, the eve of Diwali, one of the biggest Hindu holidays of the year, the police showed up at a religious centre in the Congress Party-run state of Andhra Pradesh and dragged Sri Jayendra Saraswathi off to jail. Over the next couple of months, he was followed by 24 co-accused. Although official charges had yet to be laid, the hundreds of pages of accusations boiled down to one against the Acharya: that he had abetted or masterminded the murder. No one was saying that the renowned guru had wielded the fatal dagger himself. Thousands, not all of them Hindus, were outraged at his arrest. One person self-immolated in protest. The Hindu Conference of Canada condemned the arrest. Meanwhile, much of the world press, including the BBC, claimed that the incident showed that finally, Indians were getting over their reverence for religious leaders.
It took months for official charges to be filed  March 31, 2005. People began to suspect that perhaps something else was going on. It is doubtful such a high-profile arrest could occur in the state without the involvement of Amma. And an election was approaching. But could Amma make such a brazen move without the approval of Sonia Gandhi? Gandhi has consolidated her power at the national level by taking control of the ruling Congress party. However, she has been shrewd enough to not take on the public responsibility of being prime minister. Such an arrest would suit her very well. <b>Gandhi is propping up rival Hindu religious leader Swami Swaroopanand who, unlike the Acharya, supports her and her Congress Party.</b>
However, the tide is turning against the two ladies. There is a palpable anger on the street, much of it directed against Gandhiâs religious meddling. Ammaâs popularity is also plummeting. As well, a petition has recently been presented to the Indian Supreme Court to move the case out of Tamil Nadu. And this week, the Indian High Court ordered 11 of Sri Jayendra Saraswathiâs co-accused released unless other charges were brought against them. Sitting on a simple plastic chair in a bare concrete room with an open roof, the Acharyaâs gestures are elegant but child-like. Periodically, he gazes over my shoulder, as if he sees something there that reassures him. He is relaxed, comfortable, at peace. <b>Despite the storm surrounding him, here, there is a calm. He gently chides me for thinking in terms of India versus the West. âArenât we all one?â The Hindu pope certainly appears to be a wise and good man. But in a politically volatile India, that may be the most dangerous kind of man there is</b>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Kancheepuram, May 30: A warrant was issued this evening by a court here to arrest renowned columnist and chartered accountant, S Gurumurthy, in connection with the articles written by him on the Sankararaman murder case.
Judicial Magistrate-I G Uthamaraj issued the warrant, S Thyagarajan, Public Prosecutor in the case, said here tonight.
The arrest warrant had been handed over to the Vishnu Kanchi station police inspector, Mohanavelu and accordingly, Gurumurthy, of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, would have to be produced before the magistrate by June six.
The investigating team, which questioned him here some months back, felt that he had some truths that could lead to more information on the murder case, which took place on Sept.3 last year.
The sankaracharyas of Kanchi mutt, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and his deputy, Vijayendra Saraswathi, are, among the accused, in the case. (Agencies)
<!--QuoteBegin-dhu+May 31 2005, 08:04 AM-->QUOTE(dhu @ May 31 2005, 08:04 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Warrant issued against Gurumurthy
Kancheepuram, May 30: A warrant was issued this evening by a court here to arrest renowned columnist and chartered accountant, S Gurumurthy, in connection with the articles written by him on the Sankararaman murder case.
Judicial Magistrate-I G Uthamaraj issued the warrant, S Thyagarajan, Public Prosecutor in the case, said here tonight.
The arrest warrant had been handed over to the Vishnu Kanchi station police inspector, Mohanavelu and accordingly, Gurumurthy, of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, would have to be produced before the magistrate by June six.
The investigating team, which questioned him here some months back, felt that he had some truths that could lead to more information on the murder case, which took place on Sept.3 last year.
The sankaracharyas of Kanchi mutt, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and his deputy, Vijayendra Saraswathi, are, among the accused, in the case. (Agencies)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is a very sad day for keshto, I love this man, his work, his dedication for Hindus.
Damn this amma.
What should be the next course of action on this? under the remand these brutes can beat him inside the cell for confesion. But I know he is a strong will person.
Hindus, look at the backlash you have brought onto yourself by voting in CONgress for nothing. Who is to be blamed here but hindus.
Its time for mass shock therapy!
But what would happen again when they wake up?
Ishwar allah - ram o rahim again.
Hum nahi sudrenge.
<!--QuoteBegin-dhu+May 31 2005, 08:04 AM-->QUOTE(dhu @ May 31 2005, 08:04 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> Warrant issued against Gurumurthy
Judicial Magistrate-I G Uthamaraj issued the warrant, S Thyagarajan, Public Prosecutor in the case, said here tonight.
The investigating team,<b> which questioned him here some months back, felt that he had some truths that could lead to more information on the murder case,</b> which took place on Sept.3 last year. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I am a bit confused here. If the investigating team "feels" that Sri Gurumurthy "could have" some truths that could lead to more information on the murder case, then what is the need to issue an ARREST warrant instead of a Summon? Normally witnesses are not arrested and produced before a judge. No one can "ACCUSE" someone into becoming a witness. Why are Sri Gurumurthy's lawyers not protesting or bringing up this point? Or am I mistaken? Can a person be arrested over an article (which is a single person opinion) and be arrested as hiding information from police.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Statement of Shri.S.Gurumurthy
I am hearing reports that the SIT investigating the Sankararaman murder case has filed an FIR against me for purported offences like not-cooperating with the police, giving false information etc at the time of my interrogation by them. If these reports are true, I term these efforts as ridiculous. I am surprised that even before I am served with any summons, the police have chosen to spread rumours about the purported case.
I would like to state that these intimidatory tactics will not deter me from pursuing the proposed criminal case against SIT officials for leaking out misleading contents about my statements made to them at the time they examined me.
Place: Mumbai
Date: 12th February 2005 <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Sunder+May 31 2005, 10:25 AM-->QUOTE(Sunder @ May 31 2005, 10:25 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-dhu+May 31 2005, 08:04 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dhu @ May 31 2005, 08:04 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--> Warrant issued against Gurumurthy
Judicial Magistrate-I G Uthamaraj issued the warrant, S Thyagarajan, Public Prosecutor in the case, said here tonight.
The investigating team,<b> which questioned him here some months back, felt that he had some truths that could lead to more information on the murder case,</b> which took place on Sept.3 last year. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I am a bit confused here. If the investigating team "feels" that Sri Gurumurthy "could have" some truths that could lead to more information on the murder case, then what is the need to issue an ARREST warrant instead of a Summon? Normally witnesses are not arrested and produced before a judge. No one can "ACCUSE" someone into becoming a witness. Why are Sri Gurumurthy's lawyers not protesting or bringing up this point? <b>Or am I mistaken? Can a person be arrested over an article (which is a single person opinion) and be arrested as hiding information from police.</b>
Sri Gurumurthy himself denies the charges.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Statement of Shri.S.Gurumurthy
I am hearing reports that the SIT investigating the Sankararaman murder case has filed an FIR against me for purported offences like not-cooperating with the police, giving false information etc at the time of my interrogation by them. If these reports are true, I term these efforts as ridiculous. I am surprised that even before I am served with any summons, the police have chosen to spread rumours about the purported case.
I would like to state that these intimidatory tactics will not deter me from pursuing the proposed criminal case against SIT officials for leaking out misleading contents about my statements made to them at the time they examined me.
Place: Mumbai
Date: 12th February 2005 <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That is the case in shree G's frivlous case where they claim he is suppresing the facts in a criminal case that could otherwise bring the convicion.
<b>No arrest warrant was issued by Court: Gurumurthy</b>
Tuesday, May 31 2005 21:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -
Chennai: Well-known columnist and founder of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch S Gurumurthy, said today (May 31, 2005) that no arrest warrant was issued by a magistrate in Kancheepuram against him as was reported in the media.
<b>In fact, the magistrate refused to issue a non-bailable warrant (NBW), which only results in arrest and the police had blatantly lied to the magistrate that I was absconding from March 24 onwards and sought an NBW,"</b> he said in a statement in Chennai tonight.
"This became evident when my advocate inspected the records of the court with the permission of the magistrate. Yet, the magistrate issued only a bailable warrant to appear before him on June 6, 2005," Gurumurthy said adding he appeared before the magistrate today and asked for the recall of the warrant, which the court was pleased to do on furnishing a surety.
What a releif!
<!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b>Jayendra, Vijayendra return to Kanchi mutt</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi and his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi on Wednesday returned to the Kanchi mutt after a gap of several months.
The two seers, arrested in connection with the Sankararaman murder case and later camping at nearby Kalavai, performed the puja there and left for Kanchi mutt.
The Seers were accorded a traditional welcome by the devotees on their arrival. They later performed a religious ceremony and were presented two elephants and two umbrellas. Jayendra also offered 'arthi' to the idol of Adi Sankara, Mutt sources said.
The Sankaracharyas chose this day for returning to the mutt as it was auspicious, they said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Seers Jayendra and Vijayendra Saraswati returned to Kanchi Mutt on Wednesday after several months. On arrival, they were presented two elephants. -PTI Photo
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The most famous alleged murderer in India speaks quietly, almost in a
whisper, which in the still evening air sounds more like the muted
rustle of leaves than a human voice. Until he giggles, which is often. Even by
Indian political soapopera standards, the case of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi
is remarkable. As the 69th Acharya (religious leader) of Kanchi Mutt - a
2,500-year-old temple complex in the southern state of Tamil Nadu - he
is the closest thing Hinduism has to a pope. He has hundreds of millions of
followers worldwide, including in Canada. And he has been charged in
connection with the scandalous murder case of a manager from another
temple.
Other elements of the bizarre convoluted case include an
ex-film-star-turnedpolitico and her live-in same-sex companion. Many
believe the links in the case stretch all the way up to Sonia Gandhi,
the Italian-born widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Out of
jail on bail, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi has agreed to talk to me, his first
formal audience with a journalist. We can't talk about his case, so we cover
politics and, of course, religion.
"It's not just religion that needs to grow, but morality as well," says
the Hindu guru. "Morality is not restricted to religion alone, it pervades
all your life. You have to educate children. And bring a moral dimension to
the media. As long as there is a commercial aspect to the media, we can't
expect the truth. If the youth and the media change, then politics change."
Sri Jayendra Saraswathi was chosen as a child to be the 69th Acharya,
and grew up in the rarified air of the temple. The modest compound where he
now lives, with white-washed walls and pilgrims in white wrap-around leg
coverings, has a free clinic, a school for the physically challenged and
a nursing home for the elderly. Dr. V., who guided me around the temple
and is my interpreter, is a London-trained neurologist. Like many of the
temple workers, he volunteers out of religious conviction.
As the leader of 860 million Indian Hindus, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi is
revered as much for his modern ways as he is by dint of ancient
tradition. One of his most influential moves was to open the temples and centres of
Hindu learning to everyone - all castes, women, Muslims, Christians and
anyone else who was interested. The wider he opened the gates, the
larger his following grew - and his influence. That influence has also been
felt socially and politically. Sri Jayendra Saraswathi became a powerful ally
to the Hindu nationalists and their political party, the BJP. And he became
a threat to other centres of political power. It is said, albeit in hushed
whispers, that one of his biggest enemies is the powerful Sonia Gandhi,
who leads the BJP's political rival, the Congress Party.
The top politician in the state of Tamil Nadu is chief minister Dr.
Jayalalithaa, a flamboyant former actress who calls herself "Puratchi
Thalaivi" (Revolutionary Leader). She had a famously difficult
adolescence growing up in the adult world of film before she finally made the switch
to the real stage, in politics. As her power grew, Jayalalithaa started
calling herself "Amma" or mother, to better distance herself from her
sultry past. In her early days in political office, she implemented
much-needed social and education programs and was highly regarded. But
soon, there were mutterings about the undue influence of her live-in
"best friend," Ms. Sasikala. Most of the whispers were about the sudden
prosperity of Ms. Sasikala's friends and family.
Amma started courting the Hindu vote. She passed an anticonversion bill
aimed at slowing the progress of Evangelical conversions. She began a
program to feed children at temples, rather than at school. But she was
a Brahmin in a state with a small Brahmin population. And she was losing
popularity. Then, on Sept.3, 2004, at approximately 5:45 p.m., the
manager of another religious complex in the state, not the Acharya's, was
attacked and left dead on the floor of his temple. It was a shock. No one was
sure who had killed him. Or why. He had been a strident man, complaining
about myriad perceived improprieties, including ones allegedly committed by
the Kanchi Mutt hierarchy itself. But strident people are not uncommon,
especially in a temple town.
Two months later, on Nov. 11, the eve of Diwali, one of the biggest
Hindu holidays of the year, the police showed up at a religious centre in the
Congress Party-run state of Andhra Pradesh and dragged Sri Jayendra
Saraswathi off to jail. Over the next couple of months, he was followed
by 24 co-accused. Although official charges had yet to be laid, the
hundreds of pages of accusations boiled down to one against the Acharya: that he
had abetted or masterminded the murder. No one was saying that the renowned
guru had wielded the fatal dagger himself. Thousands, not all of them
Hindus, were outraged at his arrest. One person self-immolated in
protest. The Hindu Conference of Canada condemned the arrest. Meanwhile, much of
the world press, including the BBC, claimed that the incident showed that
finally, Indians were getting over their reverence for religious leaders.
It took months for official charges to be filed - March 31, 2005. People
began to suspect that perhaps something else was going on. It is
doubtful such a high-profile arrest could occur in the state without the
involvement of Amma. And an election was approaching. But could Amma make such a
brazen move without the approval of Sonia Gandhi?
Gandhi has consolidated her power at the national level by taking
control of the ruling Congress party. However, she has been shrewd enough to not
take on the public responsibility of being prime minister. Such an
arrest would suit her very well. Gandhi is propping up rival Hindu religious
leader Swami Swaroopanand who, unlike the Acharya, supports her and her
Congress Party.
However, the tide is turning against the two ladies. There is a palpable
anger on the street, much of it directed against Gandhi's religious
meddling. Amma's popularity is also plummeting. As well, a petition has
recently been presented to the Indian Supreme Court to move the case out
of Tamil Nadu. And this week, the Indian High Court ordered 11 of Sri
Jayendra Saraswathi's co-accused released unless other charges were brought
against them. Sitting on a simple plastic chair in a bare concrete room with an
open roof, the Acharya's gestures are elegant but child-like.
Periodically, he gazes over my shoulder, as if he sees something there that reassures
him.
He is relaxed, comfortable, at peace. Despite the storm surrounding
him, here, there is a calm. He gently chides me for thinking in terms of
India versus the West. "Aren't we all one?" The Hindu pope certainly
appears to be a wise and good man. But in a politically volatile India,
that may be the most dangerous kind of man there is.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>TN withdraws plea challenging Kanchi seer's bail </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New Delhi, July 11. (PTI): Seven months after it challenged the bail granted to Kanchi Sankaracharya in the Radhakrishnan assault case, the Tamil Nadu Government today withdrew its appeal from the Supreme Court.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice R C Lahoti, Justice C K Thakker and Justice P K Balasubramanyan dismissed the appeal as withdrawn after its counsel Subramonium Prasad expressed the desire of the prosecution not to press the appeal.
<b>During the hearing of the appeal on January 17, the Court had asked the state to file the report detailing the injury received by the victim.</b>
The Court had said that it would like to see the details of the injury sustained by the temple manager before it proceeded with the State appeal challenging the Madras High Court order of January 3 granting bail to the Kanchi seer. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--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.
