A prosecution witness on Saturday continued his deposition before a trial court on the alleged attack on him in 2002.
On September 20, 2002, Radhakrishnan, an auditor of the Kanchi Mutt, was assaulted by a gang when he was at his Mandaveli residence.
A case was registered by the Foreshore Estate police, and 12 persons, including Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, were cited as accused. The charge sheet was filed in 2006.
Deposing as a prosecution witness before the First Additional Sessions Court Judge K. Dakshinamuthy, Mr. Radhakrishnan alleged that Shri Jayendra Saraswati, who was under the impression that he [Mr. Radhakrishnan] had been writing anonymous letters damaging the reputation of the Kanchi Mutt and its head, had planned the attack. He had received a call threatening him not to send such letters.
Narrating the sequence of the events before the attack, Mr. Radhakrishnan said after the attack, Shri Jayandra Saraswati invited him for talks at Nazarthpettai. When he asked the Sankaracharya why he had planned to attack him, the response of Shri Jayendra Saraswati was not proper. The Sankaracharya answered that though he was not involved directly in the attack, some of the devotees could have committed it.
Mr. Radhakrishnan's deposition is likely to continue on Thursday (June 21).
