Kanchi mutt allowed to operate two bank accounts

The Madras high court on Tuesday permitted the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt to operate two bank accounts to meet its day-to-day expenses.

The Tamil Nadu government had frozen the bank accounts of the mutt as part of investigation into the Sankararaman murder case, in which Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati is the main accused. The pontiff is currently out on bail.

Justice K P Sivasubramaniam issued the interim order, to be effective till January 25, on a petition filed by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetadhipathi Jagadguru Sri Shankaracharya Swamigal Mutt, permitting the mutt to operate one current account and one savings bank account in a branch of the Indian Bank in Kanchipuram.

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The judge also directed that a copy of the bank transactions be given to the special police team investigating the Sankararaman murder case.

Earlier in the day, the judge had told petitioner's counsel T R Rajagopal that the mutt could operate any one account. The court had asked Rajagopal to mention the account in the Indian Bank, which the mutt would want to operate.

But, when the court resumed after the lunch recess, Rajagopal sought the court's permission for operating five accounts. Tamil Nadu Public Prosecutor K Doraisamy objected to this.