The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred the trial of Sankararaman murder case, in which Kanchi Sankarcharya Jayendra Saraswathi is an accused, to a court in Pondicherry.
The case, pending before Principal Sessions Judge, Chengalpet, was transferred to Principal Sessions Judge, Pondicherry.
Complete Coverage: The Sankaracharya's Arrest
The verdict was pronounced by a bench comprising Chief Justice R C Lahoti and Justice G P Mathur on a petition filed by the Kanchi seer alleging that the surcharged atmosphere in Tamil Nadu was not conducive to a free and fair trial in the state.
K S Dinakran, a counsel for Jayendra Saraswathi, expressed happiness over the apex court order.
"I am happy that the apex court considered our apprehension that the pontiff would not get a fair trial in Tamil Nadu," he told PTI.
He said he had come to know that even some advocates were apprehensive of representing the seer.
Meanwhile, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy demanded that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa withdraw the case against the Sankaracharyas before Deepavali.
"Otherwise Tamil Nadu will be the laughing stock of the country," he said.
In a statement on Wednesday, Swamy said the transfer of the case was a censure of the state government and its police by the Supreme Court.
The case, in which the seers are the main accused, relates to the murder of temple associate Sankararaman on September three last year.
Reacting to the SC order, the Vishva Hindu Parishad said it had proved that the Tamil Nadu government was biased against the acharyas.
"The apex court's order has proved beyond doubt that the state Government was prejudiced against the two Shankaracharyas," VHP Senior Vice-President Acharya Giriraj Kishore told PTI.
He expressed confidence that both the seers will get justice even if delayed.
Complete Coverage: The Sankaracharya's Arrest