Sankararaman murder case - Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati acquitted

[CHANDRU1849]

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Nov 27, 2013


sankara mutts in south india have the patronage of saivite brahmins called

smarthas.


Smartha sambradaya came into existence much before adi sankara was born.

Savitie brahmins are supposed to follow smartha sambaradya and not

sankara mutt; whether kanchi or sringeri. Adi sankara was a namboodri; whereas

smarthas are different sect.



Iyers in tamil nadu have been paying heavily for ignoring ramanuja, who

was a born vadama iyer. As a result, iyengar caste came into existence.


For a true smartha, both kanchi and sringeri are irrelevant. Sringeri sanyasi

is living under the mercy of tamil iyers, particularly from madrai and beyond.

Because of the mutt (mad?) clash between kanchi and sringeri, iyers (smarthas)

in tamil nadu have lost their identity, and become advaithis instead of smarthas.

There was no sankara vijayam in south, as it was said that adi sankara died at

the age of 32 after going to nepal.


Sringeri is as good as kanchi, which has the patronage of smarthas, and without

them they cannot survive.


S chandrasekaran

 

[renuka]

It definitely can. I always think that a spiritual person's best period is always after his worst

but sometimes the worst period can seem never ending!

 

[sravna]

but sometimes the worst period can seem never ending!

Dear Renuka,

"The worst" is only a superficial occurrence for spiritual people. So the worst period will inevitably go behind you if you have that foresight. So with your foresight and hindsight you can make the best of the remaining period.

 

[rishikesan]

We should, not only be grateful to the proper/ objective verdict of the court in the end, to-day having upheld the sages non-involvement, though there were many twists & turns during the trials, orthodox Brahmins & others like us , were really worried as to what would ultimately be? Great relief. Let us loudly utter these words ---JUSTICE ? we ALWAYS tend to Believe & above all THE ALMIGHTY whom all of us worship day in & day out .
SIncerely,
RISHIKESAN

 

[sangom]

Nov 27, 2013


sankara mutts in south india have the patronage of saivite brahmins called

smarthas.


Smartha sambradaya came into existence much before adi sankara was born.

Savitie brahmins are supposed to follow smartha sambaradya and not

sankara mutt; whether kanchi or sringeri. Adi sankara was a namboodri; whereas

smarthas are different sect.



Iyers in tamil nadu have been paying heavily for ignoring ramanuja, who

was a born vadama iyer. As a result, iyengar caste came into existence.


For a true smartha, both kanchi and sringeri are irrelevant. Sringeri sanyasi

is living under the mercy of tamil iyers, particularly from madrai and beyond.

Because of the mutt (mad?) clash between kanchi and sringeri, iyers (smarthas)

in tamil nadu have lost their identity, and become advaithis instead of smarthas.

There was no sankara vijayam in south, as it was said that adi sankara died at

the age of 32 after going to nepal.


Sringeri is as good as kanchi, which has the patronage of smarthas, and without

them they cannot survive.


S chandrasekaran

Dear Shri Chandrasekaran,

According to whatever I have learned from many sources, Namboodiris are very much smaarta brahmins because they adhere to smritis for all their daily routine and other religious rites including the yaagas which are conducted by them once in a while. Some historians, including Shri Nagam Aiya who was the Census in-charge of the erstwhile Travancore state, are of the view that the Namboodiris came into the Kerala area from the north (Mangalore side) sometime during the 5th. or the 6th. centuries A.D. Though the Namboodiris had absolutely no record or memory about the place of their origin by the time the census operations took place in the last years, some items like their gotras and some of their social rites/rituals led Shri Nagam Aiya to the conjecture that the Namboodiris were originally from the Godavari banks and they emigrated when there was famine or some equally great disaster.

Due to reasons unclear, these migrants wore front pigtails (mun kuDumi) and possibly this made their return to their original homeland impossible. Namboodiris' own legend says that Parasurama ordered them to wear munkuDumi.

Thus, Adi sankara, a namboodiri, was very much a smaarta brahmin and many smarta tabras accepted his advaita philosophy; but not all of them were convinced subsequently by Ramanuja or Madhwa and so they (and their descendants have remained smaarta brahmins. My forefathers from Tirunelveli and those from the larger family who emigrated to Travancore/Kerala, accepted the authority of the Shringeri Matam all these years. It was only sometime during the 1950's or so, that we even came to know about a Kanchi Matam and that too from Tamil weeklies and magazines.

At around that time Satya Sai Baba also entered the scene. Many of our tabra people got attracted (misled?) to either or both of these new players in the religious scene. But many people remained unaffected too.

Thus, it is the Kanchi Matam which did not have any place among smartas from the Travancore areas; Shringeri was accepted by the Travancore kings as their guru and the people also did the same.

Much can be learned if one makes a careful comparison of the official guruparamparas of the two Matams Shringeri & Kanchi, imo.

 

[Brahmanyan]

Though I respect all learned Acharyas, I am not a follower of any Mutt or Ashram. But today I feel mentally relieved to hear the verdict in the criminal case filed against Kanchi Mutt Acharyas in the Sankararaman Murder Case. I am of the view that the Acharyas trained under a sage of great repute are not capable of even thinking of such a crime. I fully agree with the reasons given by Pondicherry Principal District and Sessions Judge C.S.Murugan while acquitting all the 23 accused in the case.

Let us hope Acharyas of Kanchi Mutt continue with their spiritual and religious work for which the Mutt has been established.

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[P.J.]

Dharmo Rakshathi Rakshithah

 

[kunjuppu]

so nobody cares about what happened to sankararaman?

from the verdict, it looks like he (sankararaman) hired people to him (sankararaman) ?

in a small town like kanchi, in a temple, in open daylight a man who was the manager of the temple murdered. witnesses changed their stories and as a result one poor helpless brahmin, who disagreed with the policieis of the kanchi mutt and would speak out about it, is found murdered.

while many here may be relieved about the verdict, the world at large is wondering if this is the power of money & influence.

granted others do it india. but we who took the higher road and stance, ie that of superior morality, can now find comfort, that we too have sunk to the norm that is justice in india. and are able to live with it and sleep well at nights.

jai hind.

ps.. hoping that the ghost of sankararaman will not visit those who agree with the verdict

 

[tks]

People are innocent until proven guilty. Such a value speaks highly of a society.

There are some people who want someone hanged and could not care less to know what the truth is. They let their prejudices run wild and want to nail someone who is charged just because they are charged.

Just because someone is tried in a court of law does not not mean they are automatically guilty.

I hope the real culprit of the murder is identified - if not let us at least hope the process (appeal or no-appeal) of finding truth is just.

 

[Nara]

என் தந்தை தானாக கொலை செய்து கொள்ளவில்லை.

Who will give justice to this anguished young man? I don't believe in law of karma working in mysterious ways. Some people can and do get away with murder literally. Among the most publicized of such cases are O.J. Simpson and Zimmerman. Just as getting accused is not the same as being guilty, a court acquitting is not the same as being innocent, all it means is that the law didn't find the accused guilty.

Jai Hind!!!

 

[Nara]

I found this from a blog post:

"இந்த வழக்கில் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்கள் அனைவரும் விடுதலை செய்யப்பட்டதற்கு முதன்மையான காரணமாக நீதிமன்றம் குறிப்பிட்டிருப்பது இதுதான்: " சங்கரராமனின் மனைவியோ அவரது மகனோ அரசுத் தரப்புக்கு உதவியாக இல்லை , கொலையைக் கண்ணால் கண்ட சாட்சியும் இந்த வழக்கின் புகார்தாரருமான கணேஷ் என்பவரும் அரசுத் தரப்புக்கு உதவியாக இல்லை" .​

If this is correct, then the court has not exonerated the accused, just that important witnesses did not cooperate with the prosecution.

Is the text of the verdict available online? If so, can somebody post a link, I googled but couldn't find it. I would like to know first hand the basis for the verdict.

 

[prasad1]

Court acquits Kanchi seers in Sankararaman murder case - The New Indian Express

Pronouncing the verdict in a packed court hall amid tight security, Principal District and Sessions Judge C S Murugan declared that all the 23 accused out of 24 stood acquitted of the charges made out against them as "there is no incriminating evidence against the accused."

One of the accused Kathiravan was murdered in March this year in Chennai.


The judge said the motive for the commission of murder was not proved, since Padma and Anand Sharma, wife and son of murdered Varadarajaperumal Temple Manager, A Sankararaman respectively, had failed to support prosecution case.

 

[sangom]

I found this from a blog post:

"இந்த வழக்கில் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்கள் அனைவரும் விடுதலை செய்யப்பட்டதற்கு முதன்மையான காரணமாக நீதிமன்றம் குறிப்பிட்டிருப்பது இதுதான்: " சங்கரராமனின் மனைவியோ அவரது மகனோ அரசுத் தரப்புக்கு உதவியாக இல்லை , கொலையைக் கண்ணால் கண்ட சாட்சியும் இந்த வழக்கின் புகார்தாரருமான கணேஷ் என்பவரும் அரசுத் தரப்புக்கு உதவியாக இல்லை" .​

If this is correct, then the court has not exonerated the accused, just that important witnesses did not cooperate with the prosecution.

Is the text of the verdict available online? If so, can somebody post a link, I googled but couldn't find it. I would like to know first hand the basis for the verdict.

Dear Shri Nara,

There is a TV channel named "puthiya thalaimurai"- it looks to me like congress. That channel was airing this Sankararaman murder case for a long time today. Some of the points which I knew but had forgotten were:

1. The first set of 5 people who surrendered themselves as the killers before TN police, were found to be a set-up team; one of them was inside jail on the material date!

2. TN police found that money from the Mutt's bank accounts had gone to the accounts of some of the suspects of TN police and those suspects had phone conversations with the Mutt and pontiffs and vice versa also.

3. Soon after Vijayendra was arrested, the Mutt filed for transfer of the case outside TN - not when Jayendra was in prison - and this has to be noted.

4. Sankararaman's wife said today to the tv reporter that she and her children were threatened with death if they identified the killers in the identification parade.

Considering all these, my doubt is still that the Acharyas are not innocent but money and other kinds of pressures have been utilised to buy freedom for the pontiffs and, in the baragain, for all others except one Kathiravan who was killed.

Most commentators in different channels say justice has not been delivered but they also say perhaps the major TN political parties have lost interest in this case and may not go in appeal. The family of the victim is too poor and intimidated to do anything; they simply ask for a government job for the son.

 

[vgane]

Dear Shri Nara,

There is a TV channel named "puthiya thalaimurai"- it looks to me like congress. That channel was airing this Sankararaman murder case for a long time today. Some of the points which I knew but had forgotten were:

1. The first set of 5 people who surrendered themselves as the killers before TN police, were found to be a set-up team; one of them was inside jail on the material date!

2. TN police found that money from the Mutt's bank accounts had gone to the accounts of some of the suspects of TN police and those suspects had phone conversations with the Mutt and pontiffs and vice versa also.

3. Soon after Vijayendra was arrested, the Mutt filed for transfer of the case outside TN - not when Jayendra was in prison - and this has to be noted.

4. Sankararaman's wife said today to the tv reporter that she and her children were threatened with death if they identified the killers in the identification parade.

Considering all these, my doubt is still that the Acharyas are not innocent but money and other kinds of pressures have been utilised to buy freedom for the pontiffs and, in the baragain, for all others except one Kathiravan who was killed.

Most commentators in different channels say justice has not been delivered but they also say perhaps the major TN political parties have lost interest in this case and may not go in appeal. The family of the victim is too poor and intimidated to do anything; they simply ask for a government job for the son.

The legal concept is that the guilt of an accused person cannot be presumed and that they must be assumed to be innocent until proven otherwise.

This is the premise for this judgment

 

[sangom]

The legal concept is that the guilt of an accused person cannot be presumed and that they must be assumed to be innocent until proven otherwise.

This is the premise for this judgment

Yes, of course. But in the minds of the people such legal dicta are not applicable. The culprits are still free and at large and there is no sufficient evidence for even the court to pronounce that these 23 people are really not guilty; they have been allowed to go free because the crime could not be proved legally against them.

 

[prasad1]

People are innocent until proven guilty. Such a value speaks highly of a society.

There are some people who want someone hanged and could not care less to know what the truth is. They let their prejudices run wild and want to nail someone who is charged just because they are charged.

Just because someone is tried in a court of law does not not mean they are automatically guilty.

I hope the real culprit of the murder is identified - if not let us at least hope the process (appeal or no-appeal) of finding truth is just.

If you accept the law of land you got to live by it. It may not be the perfect solution but till you find a better alternative that is we have.

 

[கால பைரவன்]

For members who are not aware, a website has been maintained with the help of devotees ever since the Seers were charged in this case.

kanchi-sathya.org - information on the kanchi seer, latest news on the the seer trial, facts about the kanchi mutt :: media ::


There are various articles and links showing how the case progressed. The website also has the HHs interview after the court passed its verdict.

 

[auh]

I just saw a programme on Thanthi TV, that aired a debate about the case, and present was the sone of late Shri Sankaraman. His son says that they had received threats and had to retract their stance but are ready to support the govt now.

There was S. Ve. Sekhar representing the BJP and a journalist who spoke quite well. He said that it was the negligence of the govt that this case has thus proceeded. Sometime during the show, he talked about the need to protect the family; as an example he said that they were boarded onto a bus (by the govt?) after investigations/court visits.

I could very well imagine the kind of hostile environment they would have had to face. And definitely for fear of losing any more of their near and dear, any amount of retraction is acceptable (and wise too). That is what any caring individual would do.

It is the govt. that has defaulted in this case by not protecting the concerned and the witnesses.

 

[tbs]

hi
lastest news...

?????????? ???? ?????? : ???????? ??????? - Dinamani - Tamil Daily News


further more....
http://dinamani.com/latest_news/2013/11/27/சங்கரராமன்-கொலை-வழக்கு-மேல்/article1914705.ece

 

[Nara]

The legal concept is that the guilt of an accused person cannot be presumed and that they must be assumed to be innocent until proven otherwise.

Why then were you and many others were ready to lock up Tarun Tejpal and throw away the key even before police filed formal charges against him? Some even wondered why he was free already and wanted him locked up without bail. If one believes in this legal concept innocent until proven guilty applies in the public arena as well, then you need to apply it to all, including Tarun Tejpal, not just to people you like and favor.

This legal concept is an important and vital part of any fair judicial system because loss of personal liberty is at stake. This is founded on the principle that it is better to let a guilty walk free than incarcerate an innocent one. However, when witnesses are bought off or silenced, almost half the witnesses miraculously turn hostile, mysterious money exchanges, sexual allegations that are hushed up, and so on and on, it is not surprising for reasonable people to wonder whether the legal system delivered justice or not.

The truth in this matter is never going to come out. The rich and powerful will see to it.

 

[prasad1]

When one of the nation’s best known religious leaders is arrested for allegedly ordering the murder of a detractor, and the police claim they have “clinching evidence”, one would have thought that the state would be reasonably sure of its case. Claims of eyewitness accounts, incriminating circumstances and a palpable motive in the brutal killing of A. Sankararaman, manager of the Varadarajaperumal Temple at Kancheepuram, in September 2004 were put together to build what was claimed to be a solid case against the accused, the foremost among them being the Kanchi Shankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi. In the event, what took place in a Sessions Court in Puducherry was a sorry spectacle, as witness after witness turned hostile and sent the trial hurtling towards en masse acquittal. The theory that Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, and his junior, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, hatched a conspiracy to silence Sankararaman who was making accusations about purported misdeeds, collapsed with astonishing ease. Witnesses failed to identify the assailants in court. Nothing came of claims that Sri Jayendra had arranged for money to carry out contract killings, that five fake suspects were made to surrender in court to throw the police off the track, and the inadmissible but widely publicised claim that the Acharya himself had made a videographed “confession.” His arrest, incarceration and interrogation led to much divisive debate, with supporters claiming it was a plot to revile the Hindu community, and detractors showing undisguised glee.

A complete vindication - The Hindu

The crocodile tears for Mr. Sankararaman aside, the prosecution case was so weak that it could not stand scrutiny. A non political prosecutor would have refused to prosecute on such flimsy evidence. Like someone said in an earlier post, the police and prosecutor had different agenda than to find the true murderer of Mr. Sankararaman.

It was harassment of innocent people (the seers are people too), with purely political motive.

As the Hindu sums it:

"As the investigators seemed intent on pursuing only the Acharya, the question of who ordered the fatal attack on Sankararaman remains unanswered."

You can not prove the innocence of a person. You can prove the guilt of accused with evidence

 

[Naina_Marbus]

About law taking its own course?

For those who commented about law taking its own course, here is a scary news item, dated 26th Oct 2013 , that barely made waves in the Indian media. (http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/pmo-unconcerned-about-scientist-deaths)

A series of deaths aimed at derailing India's nuclear and technological capabilities?

While there has been substantial international media comment on the unnatural deaths of several scientists working in Iran's nuclear program, similar attention has not been paid to the (much larger) number of unnatural deaths that have taken place of scientists and engineers working in India's own nuclear program.

The latest casualties were discovered on 7 October, when the bodies of K.K. Josh and Abhish Shivam were discovered near the railway tracks at Penduruthy near Vishakapatnam Naval Yard. The two were engineers connected with the building of India's indigenous nuclear-powered submarine, Arihant. They had apparently been poisoned and their bodies placed on the tracks to make it seem like an accident. However, they were discovered by a passer-by before a train could pass over the bodies. In any other country, the murder of two engineers connected to a crucial strategic program would have created a media storm. However, the deaths of the two were passed off both by the media as well as by the Ministry of Defence as a routine accident, with only the ordinary police officer tasked with investigations into the cause of death. The inquiries went nowhere.

Check this website also:

India's Nuclear Scientists Keep Dying Mysteriously
Joseph Cox, Nov 25 2013

Excerpts: (http://www.vice.com/read/why-are-indian-authorities-ignoring-the-deaths-of-nuclear-scientists)

The Indian nuclear scientists community has been plagued by "suicides," unexplained deaths, and sabotage, but those incidents have gone mostly underreported in the country—diluting public interest and leaving the cases quickly cast off by police.

This is the latest in a long list of suspicious deaths. Nuclear scientist L. Mahalingam's body turned up in June of 2009, was palmed off as a suicide and largely ignored by the Indian media. However, Pakistani outlets kept the story going, noting how quick authorities were to label the death a suicide considering no suicide note was left behind.

A Nuclear Power Corporation employee, Ravi Mule, had been murdered around June 2009 (http://www.truth-out.org/archive/item/84767:death-of-an-indian-nuclear-scientist), with police failing to "make any headway" into his case.

A couple of years later, in April of 2011, when the body of former scientist Uma Rao was found, investigators ruled the death as suicide, but family members contested the verdict, saying there had been no signs that Rao was suicidal.

This seems to be a recurring theme with deaths in the community. If the deaths of those in the community aren't classed as suicide, they're generally labeled as "unexplained." A good example is the case of M Iyer, who was found with internal haemorrhaging to his skull—possibly the result of a "kinky experiment," according to a police officer. After a preliminary look-in, the police couldn't work out how Iyer had suffered internal injuries while not displaying any cuts or bruises, and investigations fizzled out.

A spate of deaths in the nuclear scientific community would create a media storm and highly publicised police investigation in other countries, so why not India?

Perhaps ….this series of deaths is aimed at derailing India's nuclear and technological capabilities?

There are parallels here with the numerous attacks on the Iranian nuclear scientist community. Five people associated with the country's nuclear programme have been targeted in the same way: men on motorcycles sticking magnetic bombs on to their cars and detonating them as they drive off. However, the Iranian government are incredibly vocal in condemning these acts—blaming the US and Israel—and at least give the appearance that they are actively investigating.

The same cannot be said for the Indian government. India is not making any noise about the whole thing.

If the deaths do, in fact, turn out to be premeditated murders, deciding who's responsible is pure speculation at this point. Maybe the US is trying to sabotage the country's technological efforts? China is in a constant soft-power battle with India; and the volatile relationship with Pakistan makes that country a prime suspect.

But the most pressing issue isn't who might be behind the murders, but that the Indian government's apathy is potentially putting their high-value staff at even greater risk

By Joseph Cox

 

[Naina_Marbus]

I just posted the above item, merely to highlight the irony of hyperventilated concern for someone's death here when there are other deaths involving security of the country.

 

[vgane]

Why then were you and many others were ready to lock up Tarun Tejpal and throw away the key even before police filed formal charges against him? Some even wondered why he was free already and wanted him locked up without bail. If one believes in this legal concept innocent until proven guilty applies in the public arena as well, then you need to apply it to all, including Tarun Tejpal, not just to people you like and favor.

This legal concept is an important and vital part of any fair judicial system because loss of personal liberty is at stake. This is founded on the principle that it is better to let a guilty walk free than incarcerate an innocent one. However, when witnesses are bought off or silenced, almost half the witnesses miraculously turn hostile, mysterious money exchanges, sexual allegations that are hushed up, and so on and on, it is not surprising for reasonable people to wonder whether the legal system delivered justice or not.

The truth in this matter is never going to come out. The rich and powerful will see to it.

Nara,

H.H. Jayendra Sararaswathi Swamigal was incarcerated for 2 months by the Government and wild allegations surfaced..Who will bear the mental agony and trauma of the Swamigal!

Look at Tejapal...He is running amok scot free and is now attributing motives to the girl...Plain gutter talk...He should be arrested and investigated...Understand that he has done the same with some others too...He is a perverted brain and a satyr

 

[vgane]

By Joseph Cox

Sir,

This is the topic of discussion that Nara has already started in Politics & Current affairs section

http://www.tamilbrahmins.com/politics-current-affairs/14141-mysterious-deaths-murder-most-vile.html