Sankararaman murder case: a status report

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, DEC. 17. With the Supreme Court refusing to provide interim bail or relief to the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, he might have to cool his heels in the Vellore prison till the apex court hears his application on January 6. His remand will come up for extension again next week, but that may be a routine procedure. As the Supreme Court is seized of the matter, no other court is likely to intervene in the process.

Five weeks have gone by since the Tamil Nadu police flew to Andhra Pradesh and arrested the Kanchi Acharya at Mehbubnagar and made him the prime accused in the murder case. After a spate of arrests and action, the investigation appears to be at a crossroads. Several questions have been raised about the nature, scope and direction of the investigation, but the police are also stunned at the complexity of the complaints that have poured in from all directions.

Basic doubt

The basic doubt that has been raised is: why was the police sleeping over the Radhakrishnan assault case for two years and why did it not take up serious investigation of the Sankararaman murder case as soon as it happened on September 3, 2004. Further, is it because the investigators have not been able to get Appu and Ravi Subramanian that they are pursuing on the sleaze angle? There are also complaints that the police are calling in for questioning people unconnected with the murder case and are video recording the sessions.

Sankararaman letters

According to the police, the investigating team has built up a formidable case to establish the "motive" for the murder. The 30-plus Sankararaman letters offer the basic material. "We have meticulously and painstakingly worked on every clue and every complaint, which is why the case has proceeded in different directions. But they all add up to cause the murder," explains a senior police official. There are a maze of statements given by the arrested persons under Section 161, and a handful of confessional statements made before a magistrate under Section 164. Cell phone bills to substantiate the telephonic contacts among the accused are also with the police, backed by corroborative evidence. The sleaze angle came with the complaints that are being probed, police sources say.

"Glaring similarities"

The police say they are struck by the "glaring similarities" in the attacks, not just on Sankararaman and Radhakrishnan (who, according to the police, would have been killed had one of the assailants not been injured) but also on a third individual, Thirukottiyur Madhavan. The possible common links in these cases is being explored in depth. The shocking aspect seems to be the brutal murder, in broad daylight, of Sankararaman, in the Varadarajaperumal temple in the heart of Kancheepuram.

Unfinished task

The defence is trying to challenge the circumstantial and motive-based evidence being assembled by the police. The Supreme Court has asked the prosecution to furnish some of the documents and materials it has relied on and these will be considered when the court hears the case next month. The prosecution is hoping the investigations will provide the clinching evidence they need to prove the case. For this, they need to get Appu and Ravi Subramanian. There is no getting away from this unfinished task of the investigation.