NHRC issues notice to TN Govt on Jr Seer's arrest

Thursday, January 13

New Delhi: The NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) today (Jan 13, 2005) issued a notice to Tamil Nadu Government on the circumstances of arrest of Junior Shankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt Vijayendra Saraswati and reported "selective leakage" of excerpts of police interrogation of Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati to TV channels.

The Commission asked the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to furnish a "factual report" within two weeks.

The NHRC noted that various reports had appeared in the media pointing out that Vijayendra Saraswathi was arrested within hours of the Supreme Court directing release on bail of the senior Shankaracharya.

The media reports stated that the junior Shankaracharya was arrested while he was offering Puja and police had entered the mutt, "a place of worship, without any permission," the Commission said in a statement.

It said media has reported that devotees of Kanchi Mutt felt the absence of the Shankaracharyas would affect the 'centuries-old tradition' of daily pujas and hurt their sentiments.

NHRC has also taken cognisance of the telecast of excerpts of the alleged interrogation of Jayendra Saraswathi through some TV channels and said, "It raises an issue about the rights of a person facing investigation to a fair trial -- a constitutional imperative."