PUDUCHERRY: About eight months after a trial court acquitted all the accused, including the two Sankaracharyas of Kanchi Mutt, in the Sankararaman murder case, Puducherry government has decided not to file any appeal in the High Court.
Following this, a government order was issued, stating that there was no need to file an appeal against the acquittal of the Sankaracharyas in the case and the same was communicated to the senior government pleader- cum-Special Public Prosecutor in High Court about two weeks back, sources said. The GO was based on a legal examination, the sources added.
Sankararaman was murdered in the Sri Varadharaja Perumal temple, Kancheepuram, on September 3, 2004. Senior seer of the Mutt Jayendra Saraswathi and his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi were arrested in connection with the case. The trial was later shifted to Puducherry by the Supreme Court on the plea of the Sankaracharyas. The verdict was given on November 23, 2013, in which the Puducherry Sessions Court acquitted Jayendra Saraswthi and Vijayendra Saraswathi, along with 21 others. Initially, Puducherry government had shown no inclination in filing an appeal within the 90-day timelimit and it elapsed. However suddenly after the Lok Sabha elections, the former Lieutenant Governor Virender Kataria gave approval to Puducherry government for filing the appeal. But, later, Kataria, who resigned as Governor, had said he was made to sign the file after the details of the case were concealed from him.
Subsequently, the Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi gave an opinion that it was not a fit case to file an appeal. Citing ‘sound reasoning’ given by trial court, he said filing such an appeal might invite strictures from HC. It was under these circumstances that the Law Department of Puducherry government had given its opinion against filing the appeal.