Posted online: Wednesday, November 24, 2004 at 1931 hours IST
Kancheepuram, November 24: In a sensational twist to the Sankararaman murder case, a key accused, Kathiravan told Kancheepuram Judicial Magistrate I.G. Uthamaraj on Wednesday that the confession he made before JM-2 on November 19, was under police pressure and as demanded by the police.
Kathiravan told the Magistrate that the police team investigating the case picked him up on November 3 though the arrest was shown on November 9.
During the period the police kept him in a bungalow in Uthandi, tortured him there and then took him to a private hotel near Sriperumpudur. There the police forced him to confess before a magistrate, forced him to affix his signature on a few blank papers and then registered the arrest.
The disclosure, which may considerably weaken the prosecution's case against Shankaracharya, was made by Kathiravan when he was produced before the magistrate by the police for the extension of his remand.
Kathiravan further told the Magistrate that he was put in solitary confinement in Chennai central prison where the police constantly monitored him creating a fear psychosis in his mind.
He requested the Magistrate to lodge him along with other accused in the case and provide him medical assistance for his wheezing problem.
