Is there a better way?

Junior seer questioned in Sankararaman murder case
rediff, December 28, 2004

The special police team investigating the Sankararaman murder case on Tuesday questioned the junior Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Mutt, Vijayendra Saraswati, for three hours in Kanchipuram.Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati is the prime accused in the case.

The junior seer arrived at the headquarters of the team situated in the forest bungalow at 1100 IST. However, the police did not permit his van into the complex. They also refused to allow the seer's padukka (wooden footwear) and his traditional short stool inside.This caused tempers to run high among the seer's followers, who, along with the mutt's advocates, entered into an argument with the policemen.

A visibly agitated Vijayendra Saraswati pacified his followers and preferred to walk the stretch leading to the bungalow on bare foot.The traffic on the road outside the complex was disrupted for some time, as the mutt van that brought the seer drew several curious onlookers.The police later allowed the advocates to enter the bungalow with the padukka and the stool. They also let the van inside the complex.The junior seer has now be questioned twice in three days.

The police had first questioned him on December 26.

http://us.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/28kanchi.htm

Express News, Ahmedabad, Sunday December 26, 2004

Vadodara, December 25: Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s working president Ashok Singhal on Saturday alleged that Congress president Sonia Gandhi was behind the arrest of Kanchi seer Swami Jayendra Saraswati in the Sankararaman murder case.

Talking to reporters at the Vadodara airport, he said the Shankaracharya’s arrest was an example of how Sonia Gandhi was propogating Christianity in the country.

Full report:

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=111713

The Times of India, Friday December 24, 2004

CHENNAI: Probe into a more than three-year-old apparent suicide by a real estate businessman and his family in Tamil Nadu has been handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating murder charges against Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi.

Tamil Nadu Director General of Police I.K. Govind transferred Thursday the case of the July 15, 2001, suicide of Ramesh and his family to the jurisdiction of the SIT.

By transferring the Ramesh death case to the SIT, the Tamil Nadu police have formalised another investigation into real estate related deals in which they allege the Kanchipuram mutt and the seer are involved.

Full report:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/970410.cms

From the Times of India
December 13, 2004

NEW DELHI: Days after saying it was probing whether Godman Chandraswamy had financed the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the CBI on Monday claimed it has collected "lots of evidence" against him in the matter.

The CBI's statement was made before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravinder Dudeja, who rejected Chandraswamy's plea for permission to travel abroad after he went through a box full of documents produced by CBI in hischamber.

"Lots of evidence have been collected against the suspect," agency's counsel Mohammed Shakeel told the court hearing his application for permissionto travel to USA, UK and Mauritius for delivering spiritual discourses.

Full story:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/957458.cms

Rediff, December 10, 2004

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing on a petition seeking bail for Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati.

The matter has been now posted for Friday.

However, in a surprising development, the Shankaracharya's counsel, M N Krishnamani,
objected to the petition, filed by Yogendra Kumar Tiwari, describing it as
mischievous.

http://us.rediff.com/news/2004/dec/10kanchi4.htm

The Times of India, December 10, 2004

NEW DELHI: Godman Chandraswamy is amid a controversy again: the CBI has told a Delhi court that he may have financed Rajiv Gandhi's assassination 13 yearsago.

This is the first time the investigating agency has revealed details about Chandraswami's alleged role in the former PM's assassination by a LTTE 'human bomb' at Sriperambudur in Tamil Nadu. CBI made its revelations on Friday whileopposing the tantrik's plea for permission to go abroad to give spiritual discourses.

Evidence and material pointed an accusing finger towards Chandraswami and "raiseserious doubts regarding his involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi",CBI superintendent of police B N Mishra told metropolitan magistrate V K Khanna.

The enforcement directorate, which has accused Chandraswami of Fera violations, also opposed his application for permission to go abroad. The court has fixed December 13 as the next date of hearing and directed Chandraswami to appearin person.

The godman's fresh troubles could well have been given momentum by the changed political equation at the Centre. The dominance of Rajiv Gandhi loyalists inthe government could be a factor in the sudden revival of interest in Chandraswami.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/955287.cms

Does Jayendra Saraswati deserve our sympathy? Part 1
by Sridhar Kannan

The important question Shankaracharya followers should ask themselves is "Do my Gurus (Kasi, Puri, Shringeri, Dwarka and Kanchi) believe that all humanbeings are equal before God?

http://www.sulekha.com/weblogs/weblogdesc.asp?cid=21419

Outlook India, December 2, 2004

VARANASI - The Dwarikapeeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand today asked the beleaguered Kanchi Kamakoti Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Jayendra Saraswatito step down from his post until proved innocent by the court of law in an alleged murder case.

"The seer must step down from the post of Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakotipeeth until he is absolved by the court of the charges against him in the Shankaramanmurder case," he told reporters here.

"If a public representative or a minister was required to quit his post

for alleged complicity in a criminal or murder case, then why not Shankaracharya also quit his post," he asked.

Stepping up his attack on the incarcerated spritual leader, Swaroopanand also questioned the former's credentials as Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakotipeeth and said that how could he claim to be a Shankaracharya when the Kanchi KamakotiPeeth was not annointed as one of the four peeths of the Hindu religion.

The adi Shankaracharya's had founded only four peeths, Puri, Dwarka, Shrinegeri and Badrika Ashram Peeth and there was no Peeth of Kanchi Kamkoti in the originalorder, he said adding Swami Jayendra was a mere priest of a mutt.

Full story:

http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=265090

Dwarikapeeth Shankaracharya asks Kanchi Seer to step down

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/002200412022071.htm