Seer has no role in Sankararaman murder

Kancheepuram, Dec 28: In his first public comment on the arrest of his senior in a murder case, junior Sankaracharya of the Kanchi mutt, Vijayendra Saraswathi, today said he told the special police that Jayendra Saraswathi "would not have done this (conspiring to eliminate Sankararaman)".

"I told them that he (Jayendra Saraswathi) would not have done this," Vijayendra Saraswathi told the media in his first ever interaction since the arrest of his senior on November 11 in the case.

He was addressing the media on the mutt premises on his return from the special police headquarters, where he was questioned for three hours today.

Vijayendra Saraswathi also said he told the police, in response to a question, that the senior seer had advised him not to visit him at Vellore prison.

"They asked me about my plans to meet the acharya at the prison. I told them that I had informed him (Jayendra Saraswathi) about my plans to call on him and that I was asked not to come now. I will go (to meet him) when he permits me," he said.

Mutt advocates, who accompanied the junior seer, said the questions asked by the police were general in nature. (Agencies)