Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, released on bail on Monday in the Sankararaman murder case, fears rearrest under the Goonda Act.

Speaking exclusively to rediff.com on Thursday, the pontiff's lawyer, M N Krishnamani, said: "We simply fail to understand [Tamil Nadu] CM Jayalalithaa. Now, we have been told that the seer will be arrested under the Goonda Act, which is just as stringent as POTA [Prevention of Terrorism Act] was."

He said the Shankaracharya's rearrest is likely to be made under the excuse that he has links with anti-social elements of Kanchipuram.

Special: Who was Sankararaman? | Complete Coverage

"If he is arrested again, we will go to the Supreme Court again," Krishnamani said.

"We have no doubt at all that the arrest of the junior pontiff [Vijayendra Saraswati] and senior seer's likely re-arrest are evidences of CM Jayalalithaa's intention to take charge of the [kanchi] mutt," he said.

Also see:
Junior Kanchi seer held, gets judicial remand
TN govt trying to control Kanchi mutt: BJP