“How did the video of police interrogation get telecast on TV Channels?

While the Kanchi Sankaracharya Sri. Jayendra Saraswathy, released on bail is camping at Kalavai, a few private channels have telecast yesterday video CDs of the police interrogation that took place in prison, that were sent to them anonymously. Aimed at causing confusion in the Sankara Mutt, the CDs have got devotees even more worried.

Police arrested Sri Jayendra Saraswathy to link the Sankararaman murder with the Kanchi Mutt, duly permitted by the courts to facilitate investigation. Word spread that during investigation Jayendrar himself has confessed to instigating crime and had mentioned that family politics had entered the Mutt. Senior Counsel Thulsi who appeared on behalf of the prosecution claimed that Jayendrar had admitted to his crime and that he was prepared to show the video pertaining to the confession.

However during the High Court proceedings the government did not say anything in this regard. In this background anonymous CDs of Jayendrar’s alleged confession during investigation found their way to the TV channels and the press, yesterday.

There were a few scenes in bits & pieces in that CD. Jayendrar was lying down. There were two voices speaking to him. There was no clarity in the voices. You could not hear anything clearly from their conversation.

Was Jayendrar’s voice in the CD that was telecast? Or was it dubbed in the background & mixed? This doubt has arisen in the minds of the Sanakara Mutt circles.

If the CD was indeed true, how did the video recorded by police find their to the media? Who sent this CD? Is it permissible to telecast such video? There are no answers to such questions.

This is what appears in the CD. Jayendrar is lying down.You hear a few inaudible and unclear voices speaking to him. It looks from the visuals that Jayendrar was not allowed to sleep till very late at night and interrogated.

At that time one voice says ‘See, even after it has been known that you are arrested nothing has been said from the Mutt’.

‘I brought him up. (Not clear whether it refers to Sankararaman or Vijayendrar). The conversation continues in this confusion. Suddenly the scene changes. ‘Will you arrest me? Will you arrest my brother? tThese are things you have asked.(Since Jayendrar is supposed to be speaking it is construed that he is refrring to Vijayendrar) But you say nothing was said about my arrest. He himself (Sankararaman)has said that if you throw him out I will not complain anymore’ Visuals keep moving without any link to the voice.

Then the voice that appears on behalf of police says ‘ They also talk about some women matters’

For that Jayendrar hits his forehead and closes his eyes saying ‘Siva Siva’. The police voice tries to wake him up saying ‘If it had happened outside the temple we would not have taken it up’

For that Jayendrar is heard saying ‘I did not ask any one to hit or kill any one. All I said was that I don’t want to hear anything that will distract my mind during the pooja.’

Then the police voice says ‘Apparently Sankaraman said that, if Vijayendrar and his team walk out of the Mutt I will not create any problem’. Jayendrar is shown and it appears as if there is a smile on his face.

Thereafter all the visuals vanish. Several media people tried to get in touch with the DGP’s office to find out how video shot during police interrogation, have reached the media. But yesterday, the old DGP was suddenly transferred and a new DGP has been appointed. Therefore there was a lot of confusion in the police front. Therefore there was no clear reply from the police. ‘We don’t have any information’ was the only answer we got.

This Cd affair has hurt the devotees even more.

Translated from Tamil from Dinamalar – 1/13/2005