Sankararaman murder: Witnesses turn hostile

PUDUCHERRY: The drama of prosecution witnesses turning hostile in the Sankararaman murder case seems to be continuing as four more prosecution witnesses during a trial here on Friday were declared hostile by Spe cial Public Prosecutor N Devadoss after they contradicted their statements to the police earlier. This takes the total number of hostiles to 49. Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi and the junior pontiff Vijayendra Saraswthi, the main accused in the case under charges of conspiracy and murder, were absent during the trial in the Puducherry court. Five prosecution witnesses were produced in the court on Friday. Principal District and Sessions Judge D Krishnaraja adjourned the hearing to June 17 and 18 where 19 and 14 prosecution witnesses would be examined and cross examined respectively.