A Sessions court on Thursday adjourned hearing in the Sankararaman murder case, in which Kanchi Seers Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra Saraswathi are the main accused, to July 12.

Adjourning the case, Chengalpattu Sessions Judge M G Akbar Ali said charges will be framed on that day.

Both Jayendra and Vijayendra, who had secured bail in the case, were present in the court when the trial began.

Of the 24 accused, Raghu, brother of the Junior Acharya, and mutt manager Sundaresa Iyer, who had been granted bail recently in the case, were not present.

• Holy man in a controversy

The Government prosecutor said they should be issued fresh warrants. But Karthigeyan, counsel for Raghu and Iyer, filed petitions seeking to dispense with their appearance, stating that they had to be at Coimbatore and Villupuram respectively to sign the register twice a day in compliance with their bail conditions.

The judge then asked the defence counsel and prosecution to consult the high court about liberties with regard to the court attendance and condoned the absence.

When all the accused and lawyers were present, Palani and 'Kuruvi' Ravi submitted that their lawyer was in Chennai.

On the first hearing of the Sankararaman murder case on April 27, Judge M G Akbar Ali adjourned it to June 16, as advocates for the 12 of the 24 accused, including Sundaresa Iyer, Kanchi Sankara Mutt Manager, did not turn up.

Sankararaman was murdered inside the Varadarajaswami temple in Kanchipuram in September 2004. Investigations were completed and charge sheet filed in January. Besides the two Seers, the mutt manager Sundaresa Iyer and Vijayendra Saraswathi's brother Raghu, co-accused in the case, have got bail.

The bail petitions of Appu, Kadiravan, Anil and Bhasker have been dismissed. They will also be present on Thursday at the Chengalpattu court.