The Madras High Court Thursday adjourned till next Monday arguments on the bail application of Hindu seer Jayendra Saraswathi who has been arrested in a murder case.
Justice R. Balasubramaniam adjourned the hearing after public prosecutor K. Duraisamy sought more time.
The public prosecutor also assured the court that the adjournment would not be used to delay the hearing of bail application for the pontiff pending before a principal sessions court in an assault case.
The Shankaracharya, who heads a monastic order in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, was arrested Nov 11 on charges of murdering temple official A. Sankararaman.
Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal alleged in Chennai that Tamil Nadu Police had not collected all the evidence in the murder case.
He demanded immediate release of the Shankaracharya and dropping of all cases against him.
Police have failed to collect any evidence regarding the pontiff's role in this case and "that's why it is jumping to other irrelevant cases, to malign the fair name of the Shankaracharya and the Kanchi mutt", Singhal said.
Alleging an international conspiracy against the pontiff, the VHP leader said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha had arrested the pontiff "in a bid to save her government from being toppled".
She will "have to pay a heavy price politically for the pontiff's arrest", he added.
--Indo-Asian News Service