A Kanchipuram court on Friday remanded Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, the prime accused in the Sankararaman murder case, to three days' police custody.

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"After perusing the case diary and other documents, the court is satisfied that there are sufficient grounds for granting police custody of the accused. It is just and necessary for further investigation," First Class Judicial Magistrate G Uttamaraja said, delivering the order in a packed court hall.

"Jayendra Saraswathi is hereby ordered to be granted police custody from 12.05 pm on 19/11/2004 to 10.30 am 22/11/2004," he added.

The magistrate also allowed an advocate of the seer's choice to meet him between 6 pm and 7 pm on all the days of the custody and ordered that a government doctor examine him every day.

The defence counsel then said that a member of the Thanjavur Bar Association, Advocate V Krishnaswamy, had been nominated to call on the seer at the appointed time.

Following this, the Shankaracharya was taken in a police van amidst tight security, to an undisclosed place.

The verdict was expected at 10.30 am after the magistrate reserved his orders on Thursday, when both the defence and prosecution completed their arguments. The magistrate remained in his chamber and came to the court hall only at 11.30 am.