“We are innocents, truth will come out”

Press Trust Of India, January 19, 2005

Vijayendra Saraswathi Kancheepuram, January 19: The junior pontiff of Kanchi mutt Vijayendra Saraswathi today said there was not even one per cent truth in the charge of involvement of the senior acharya Jayendra Saraswathi and himself in the murder of the temple official Sankararaman.

“This case has not even one per cent of truth. With the help of god, elders and sages, we will come through this present crisis of bad name and bad times," he told reporters after he was remanded to judicial custody till January 24.

"Stand united and strive for the excellence of the samaj," he said as he was boarding a police van. He also addressed the people, who had thronged outside the magistrate court, for the first time since he was arrested on January 10.

He said the youth of India and abroad were all praying and striving hard for the well-being of mankind. "All will be well soon by god's grace and these bad times will end," he said while referring to the Sankararaman murder case

Earlier, after completion of one day's detention in police custody, the junior seer was produced before first class judicial magistrate G. Uthamaraj who remanded him to judicial custody till January 24.

Vijayendra's counsel Y Thygarajan requested the magistrate to order for ayurvedic treatment to the seer as he was suffering from pain in the neck. The magistrate asked him to file a petition for this purpose.

Meanwhile, the Chengalpattu sessions court adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of Vijayendra to January 25, following a request from the prosecution.

Judge S. Vanagamudi also adjourned the bail petitions of Raghu, brother of Vijayendra Saraswathi and mutt manager Sundaresa Iyer, to that day. The prosecution sought time to enable Supreme Court senior advocate K.T.S. Tulsi to appear on its behalf.