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Brother's testimony: Junior seer
paid Rs 15 lakh as hit money 

What is India News Service, Monday, 31 January 2005, 2000 hrs IST

Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati was given Rs 15 lakh as junior pontiff Vijayendra Saraswati’s share of the expenses for the Sankararaman murder, according to the junior seer’s younger brother M K Raghu.

The money was diverted from the accounts of two trusts associated with the Kanchi Kamakoti mutt and handed over to the senior pontiff by Raghu on Vijayendra’s instruction.

That is what Raghu has said in his statement to the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the state police investigating the Sankararaman murder case.

Raghu claims that on September 1 last year, Ravi Subramaniam, Appu and Kathiravan met Vijayendra Saraswati to break the news of the decision to kill Sankararaman, taken at the instance of Jayendra Saraswati. The junior pontiff endorsed the move and told Raghu to arrange ‘‘for money as our share in the expenses for the murder.’’

Raghu says that though he did not enjoy any formal authority in the Mutt affairs, thanks to the clout he derived as Vijayendra Saraswati’s brother, he was able to control two trusts - SSSVS Trust and Ghatikasramam Trust - associated with the Mutt by appointing as trustees his own handpicked persons. He used to get blank cheques signed by the trustees and fill in the name of the payee as and when required.

In this instance, he says that on September 3, the day Sankararaman was killed, he issued an ICICI cheque for Rs 5 lakh from the SSSVS Trust account along with instructions for a demand draft in the name of Residency Builders.

‘Kanchi seer arrest pre-determined drive against mutt’: Terming the arrest of Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi as a "pre-determined drive" against the mutt, Sangh Parivar ideologue S Gurumurthy said it was clear that it was not for enforcement of law alone. Gurumurthy, joint convenor of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), alleged that it was a pre-determined drive and the entire Tamil Nadu administration was kept in the dark, claiming that the state advocate-general was also "not consulted" before taking the action.

Congress not keen on toppling Goa Government: With elections in Bihar looming large, the Congress party high command is not keen on dismissing the Manohar Parrikar-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in Goa lest it be made into an election issue, according to sources from Panaji.

Parrikar Govt to seek vote of confidence on Feb 3: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar would seek a vote of confidence on February 3 to prove his majority on the floor of the House, even as United Goa Democratic Party (UGDP) MLA assured his "support" to the ruling BJP government.

News analysis: Odds stacked against Parrikar

Nanavati Commission on Sikh riots to submit report to Patil: Justice G T Nanavati, who led the one-man inquiry commission probing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, will submit his report to Home Minister Shivraj Patil after he comes back from his visit of the Northeast.

Babri Masjid demolition was planned 10 months in advance: A book authored by a former top Intelligence Bureau official says that Babri Masjid demolition was planned 10 months in advance.

Vishnu Prabhakar not to return award: Veteran Gandhian author Vishnu Prabhakar today decided not to return the coveted Padma Bhushan conferred on him last year after President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam expressed regret over reported misbehaviour with the Hindi writer by security at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Assam government criticised over terrorist strikes: The Congress government in Assam has drawn flak over its handling of the deteriorating law and order situation.

States

NC loses ground, Hurriyat sidelined in civic polls: The electorate for civic elections to municipal councils and committees in Baramula and Kupwara has reaffirmed support to the ruling coalition partners in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mufti urges separatists to join talks: Hailing the results of the civic poll held in Baramula and Kupwara yesterday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said that people of the Valley have finally voted for peace and development. 

Free Haryana from 'corrupt' Chautala govt, urges PM: Hitting out at the Om Prakash Chautala Government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked the people of Haryana to free the state from a "corrupt" government and elect a party that would rule both state as well as the Centre.

2 held for MLA’s killing: In a major breakthrough, the Allahabad police this evening arrested two youths from Kareli in Allahabad who confessed to have killed BSP MLA Raju Pal on the eve of Republic Day allegedly on the instructions of the prime accused Ashraf who is lodged in Naini jail.

Bogies derail in Bihar: Three bogies of the Munger-Jamalpur train derailed near Lal Darwaza station of East Central railway on Sunday. However, no casualty was reported.
 
Front partners unhappy over CPM’s attitude: The Forward Bloc (FB) and the RSP, the two major partners of West Bengal’s Left Front government, have openly started protesting against the “big-brotherly attitude” of the CPM. The CPI, RCPI and the DSP besides other small partners are also unhappy but their leadership has not been much vocal against the CPM.

Book on Javed Akthar’s songs released: “Talking Songs”, an analytical book on the songs penned by film lyricist Javed Akhtar, was released by cine actor Shah Rukh Khan at a function in Mumbai. “Talking Songs” is a dialogue between Akthar and writer Nasreen Munni Kabir and contains a detailed analysis of Akthar’s songs — their moods and the inspiration behind them. 

Legal Dept man blamed for delay in Patiala college land case: The Punjab Government’s Legal Department has held a Senior Assistant responsible for causing a delay in the filing of an appeal in the Supreme Court in a Patiala Government College of Education land dispute case, in which the state is on the verge of losing the plot and the infrastructure worth Rs 100 crore.

Zahira shifts to Vadodara: Zahira Sheikh, key witness in the Best Bakery case, has shifted to Vadodara with her entire family, her advocate, Atul Mistry, said. 

Measures to promote Sanskrit in MP: The BJP government of Mr Babulal Gaur is taking a number of steps to promote learning and teaching of Sanskrit in Madhya Pradesh. These include liberal scholarships and special assistance for modernisation of traditional Sanskrit pathshalas in the state.

Renowned educationist Dr HN no more: Dr Narasimhaiah, who headed the leading chain of educational institutions in Bangalore, was instrumental in spreading education in Karnataka.



Neighbours


Sunni cleric, bodyguard shot: Assailants riding on three motor cycles opened fire outside a Sunni Muslim mosque in Karachi today, killing a cleric and his bodyguard, officials said. The shooting near the mosque in Karachi’s busy shopping area of Tariq Road occurred after the midday prayers, said Farooq Awan, a senior Karachi police official.

Positive signals from India on pipeline project, says Pak: Islamabad has received positive signals from New Delhi on the proposed trans-Pakistan gas pipeline, a venture that appeared to be going sour because of recent Indian resistance to it.

Rocket strike leaves Pak's south in dark: Rocket-firing insurgents have toppled four power pylons and caused an electricity blackout in Pakistan’s south-western province of Baluchistan.

One dead, 12 hurt in Bangladesh strike: A man was killed and scores of opposition leaders and workers, including two lawmakers, were injured in clashes on Sunday, the second day of the 60-hour countrywide general strike.

Six Maoists killed in Nepal: At least six Maoists were killed in a gunbattle with the security forces in Nepal where the rebels forcibly took over an ancestral house of an Inspector General of Police, army sources said today.

View from abroad

Hindu priest rapes 'his wife from previous life': A Hindu priest in Britain has been convicted of raping a devotee of Tamil origin at a temple here.

Desi culture mesmerises America: A former senior bureaucrat from India is making waves on Chicago's cable television, showing films on topics ranging from Indian culture to the experiences of the earliest Indian immigrants here. 



Overall

Raghu testified against his brother: He said Vijayendra Saraswati had pooled in Rs 15 lakh to have Sankaraman murdered.

One more boy was kidnapped in Bihar: Sonia Gandhi too fired a salvo at her coalition partner, and said the law and order in the state must improve. 

Congress may not topple Goa government: But the Parikkar government is still tottering.