SC to pronounce verdict on Shankaracharya's plea tomorrow

New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict on Tuesday on Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati's plea challenging the appointment of a public prosecutor from Tamil Nadu in the Sankararaman murder case, in which he himself is an accused and whose trial was shifted to neighbouring Puducherry.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan on April 10 had reserved the judgement on the issue in which the Seer had contended that since the trial in the case was transferred to Puducherry, the Tamil Nadu Government has no authority to appoint its public prosecutor.
Further, Shankaracharya had submitted that the apex court should address an important question as to which State should be vested with the power of appeal against the order of the trial court.
Tamil Nadu Government had maintained that Section 24 CrPC provides exclusive right to a State for appointing its own public prosecutor and hence the pontiff's plea should not be entertained.
The Shankaracharya was arrested on November 14, 2004 by the Tamil Nadu police in Andhra Pradesh's Mahaboobnagar district in connection with the murder of A Sankararaman manager of the Sri Vardaraja Perumal Temple, Kancheepuram on September 3, 2004.
Following a petition filed by the pontiff, the Supreme Court on October 26, 2005 shifted the trial against the seer from the Principal Sessions Court, Chengalpattu, in Tamil Nadu to the District and Sessions Court, Puducherry.
The apex court on May 2, 2006 had also stayed the trial before the session court, Puducherry after the seer opposed Tamil Nadu Government's move to appoint its own public prosecutor for the trial.
Monday, July 21, 2008
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