Puducherry: An official of the Forensic Sciences Department was examined in a court here during trial in the Sankararaman murder case, in which Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati and his junior Vijendra Saraswati are the main accused.
He was the only prosecution witness among the three who turned up in court on Friday when hearing resumed before the Principal District and Sessions Judge T. Ramassamy.
Special Public Prosecutor N. Devadoss examined the official, after which the judge adjourned further hearing to March 21, saying hearing would take place on a daily basis till March 25.
As many as 174 witnesses have been examined so far in the case since commencement of the trial two years ago.
Sankararaman, Manager of the Varadararjaperumal temple in Kancheepuram, was allegedly murdered on the premises of the temple on September 3, 2004.
The two seers had been accused of hatching a conspiracy to murder Sankararaman.
Only nine of the 24 accused were present during hearing on Friday. The absentees included the two seers.
The trial was shifted to Puducherry from Chengalpattu district court on Supreme Court's order in October 2005.
Devadoss later told reporters that the court directed summons to be again served on a retired police official and also issued a warrant against another witness attached to a private firm, residing in Chennai, to ensure their presence in the next hearing.