The Sankararaman murder case, in which the two Sankaracharyas of Kanchi Math were acquitted by a trial court in Puducherry, was not a fit case for filing an appeal in the Madras High Court, according to the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.
In his opinion submitted to the Union Home Ministry, Mr. Rohatgi said “No grounds exist for filing appeal against the acquittal of Kanchi Seers, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi in the 2004 temple manager murder case.”
>The trial court on November 23, 2013 acquitted all the accused in the case . Initially the Puducherry government was not inclined to file an appeal in the High Court within the 90-day time limit and hence the appeal was not filed. Subsequently former Lt. Governor Virender Kataria gave sanction to the >Puducherry government for filing the appeal against the acquittal before the High Court.
Mr. Kataria, who resigned had gone on record saying that he was tricked into giving his approval and was not properly briefed about the case. It was in this context the UT government through the Home Ministry sought the Attorney General’s opinion in this regard. The AG said “Filing appeal against the trial court verdict may invite strictures from the High Court as it has a very narrow window.” He pointed out that the trial judge had given 20 valid reasons while acquitting all the accused, including the manner in which investigation was conducted, evidence was planted and chargesheet was filed. He said out of 189 witnesses, 83 including the family members of the deceased had turned hostile and hence it was not a fit case for filling appeal.
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