Puducherry, Nov 21: A court in Puducherry today adjourned the hearing of the Sankararaman murder case, in which Kanchi Sankaracharyas, Jayendra Saraswathi and his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi are the main accused to December 18.

When the case came for hearing today before the principal District and Sessions judge D. Krishnaraja, out of the 24 accused, only 12 were present.

The absentees included the two main accused Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi and junior seer Vijayendra Saraswathi.

The Judge listened to the special public prosecutor N Devadoss and the defence counsel and fixed December 18 the date for next hearing.

On July 22, the apex court had allowed a special leave petition by Jayendra Saraswathi for appointment of a Public Prosecutor from Puducherry to conduct the trial.

Earlier, the Principal and District Sessions Judge of Puducherry, D Krishnaraja, had adjourned the hearing of the case in view of the pendency of a petition filed by Jayendra Saraswathi in the Supreme Court, challenging the continuation of the Special Public Prosecutor of Tamil Nadu even after the case was transferred in Puducherry.

The Supreme Court had reserved its order on the seer''s petition and had earlier transferred the trial from a Kancheepuram court to Puducherry.

Sankararaman, Managing Trustee of the Lord Varadaraja Perumal temple at Kancheepuram, was murdered on September 3, 2004, allegedly at the behest of the accused. (ANI)