Source

TIRUPATI, INDIA, December 19, 2004: The prime suspect in the Shankaraman murder case, Appu alias Krishnaswamy, was arrested from a village in Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh today. Appu was arrested after he surrendered at his brother-in-law’s house at Balakrishnapuram, 50 km from Tirupati. The police claim Appu organized the contract killing of temple manager, Shankaraman, at the behest of Kanchi Shankracharya Jayendra Saraswati. Before being taken away by police, Appu said, “The Shankracharya and myself are innocent. The case has been registered to tarnish the image of Kanchi Kamakoti mutt.” Apparently seeking to discount money being the motive for the murder, Appu said, “I am well-off man and there is no need for me to do such things for US$7,000 or $8,000.”



His arrest will give the Tamil Nadu police a possible breakthrough in the sensational killing. The seer was arrested in connection with this case on November 11 and has been in judicial custody since then. Shankaraman was hacked to death on the temple premise on September 3, 2004. According to the police, Appu was paid a hefty sum of $23,000 for the assignment. The suspicion is based upon confessions to the police by his henchmen like Kathiravan and Chinna, now in jail for allegedly executing the crime. Also, material evidence like bank transactions and mobile phone calls between the seer and Appu, link the two. Threatening letters written by the murdered temple manager to the seer as well as a German made revolver belonging to Appu, under a Nagaland arms licence, were also reportedly recovered from Kathiravan and Chinna.



In police files, Appu figures as an ‘A Plus’ category kingpin with cases ranging from extortion to murder pending in seven police stations in Chennai. Even three detentions under the Goondas Act did not prevent him from running a network of hard core hitmen. Appu is known to have strong political connections and was said to operate in star hotels where he used to have a permanent room. He was recently restrained by the Madras High Court from going to America for medical treatment.

Post Views: 697