Puducherry, Sept 24 : A Puducherry Sessions Court today adjourned the hearing in the Sankararaman murder case, in which Kanchi Sankaracharyas, Jayendra Saraswathi and his junior Vijayendra Saraswathi are the main accused to October 24.

When the case came for hearing today before the principal District and Sessions judge D. Krishnaraja, 14 accused including the two seers were absent .Separate petitions citing the reasoning for their absence were filed by the counsel.

Meanwhile, the Puducherry Government has appointed the senior lawyer in N. Devdoss as a special public prosecutor for this case as directed by the Supreme Court.

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)