Court Date Set for Hindu Leader Arrested on Murder Charges

November 16, 2004

Source: BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4012211.stm

On November 16, 2004 the BBC News reported, "A revered Hindu leader arrested in southern India on murder charges last week faces a further court appearance after a bail hearing on Wednesday.

Jayendra Saraswathi denies killing a worker at the 2,500-year-old Kanchi Shankara Mutt temple he heads.

His arrest last week has sparked several days of protests among hardline Hindus across the country.

Magistrates hearing a petition against his detention have summoned him to appear in court in person on Thursday.

Mr Saraswathi, also known as the Shankaracharya of Kanchi, is the head of a sect of India's Hindu Brahmin community and the leader of the Kanchi Shankara Mutt, an influential religious establishment."