Wednesday 24 November 2004

Accused Trustees Acquitted – Transparent Foul Play

For about three years trial in criminal case has gone on and it is now posted for orders. However, days before orders could be passed Mr. Swarnam Natarajan, Magistrate of JM I, Pondicherry, has visited the Ashram with Matripasad and others. In fact he has just got married and Matriprasad and some trustees attended the reception so we were told by some invitees. So we know that Mr. S. Natarajan has been compromised. On 17.11.2004 letters written by ashramites Nirmal Swain, Saumya Bableswar and one local called Krishnan were published by  ‘The Hindu’ to the effect that no criminal cases are pending against the trustees of Ashram. We are absolutely sure of the outcome of the criminal case.

On 18.11.2004 two criminal cases are posted for hearing. My criminal gets adjourned to 23.11.2004. In Mr. PP Raghavachary’s (who was intially trustees’ lawyer) criminal case filed against the trustees for housebreaking, illegal trespass etc, accused trustees are supposed to appear and so the court premises is packed with media and reporters, in spite of the wrong information given by ‘The Hindu’.

Then on 23.11.2004 Jayashree and myself were present in the court in the morning. Mr. Swarnam Natarajan makes a huge show of rendering justice. He told the accused trustees to settle the matter out of court with me and report settlement by the same afternoon otherwise he will punish them. Case gets posted to the afternoon. In the afternoon Mr. Cyril Vincent, our lawyer, Jayashree and myself were present. When my case was called Mr. Swarnam Natarajan pretended as if no directions were given in the morning and simply acquitted all the accused in my case.


A complete volte-face. Why? Rumor has it he received his second dowry from the trustees, reaching comfortably into 7 zeroes.