One more witness turns hostile in Sankararaman murder case

One more prosecution witness turned hostile during cross examination in a local court today in the Sankararaman murder case, in which the two seers Jayendra Saraswati and his junior Vijayendra Saraswati are the main accused.

Of the 24 accused, only seven were present in court when the hearing resumed today before the principal district and sessions judge T Ramaswamy.

The absentees included the two seers, who have been charged under various IPC sections for criminal conspiracy and murder.

During the trial today one of the five witnesses examined and cross examined turned hostile, contradicting the statement he had given earlier to police.

The judge then adjourned the case to tomorrow.

A total of 118 witnesses have so far been examined since commencement of the trial here, of whom 62 have turned hostile. The Supreme Court had shifted the case here from Chengalpattu district court on a petition filed by Jayendra Saraswathi in October 2005.

Sankararaman, manager at the Varadarajaperumal temple in Kancheepuram, was allegedly murdered on the temple premises on September 3, 2004.