The Hindu Editorial...

Among all opinions and reports afloat about the arrest of Kanchi Sankaracharya, the Hindu Editorial was the most objective. A few highlights...

THE DRAMATIC ARREST and incarceration of the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi — the most high profile of all contemporary Hindu religious leaders — as the prime accused in a brutal contract killing of a humble adversary is a first in the annals of the rule of law. The message sent out by this action taken by the Tamil Nadu police, evidently with prior approval from Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, is that nobody, however high in religious or temporal matters, shall be above the law.

The Tamil Nadu police officials in charge of the investigation as well as the Public Prosecutor have claimed they have solid evidence against Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, with the prosecutor using strong language in open court to contrast his alleged criminality with his venerated spiritual position.

The strong language in open court to contrast alleged criminality with the spiritual position is as follows. Public prosecutor Mr. Duraiswamy, it seems, responded in court to requests for special treatment to the Acharya by saying -

"Today is court holiday, still special treatment has been given to him. There is a limit for special treatments. He is the most undeserving criminal deserving no special treatment. We are also devotees of the mutt. We respect the seat but not the individual who is occupying it"

(italics mine)
The Hindu Editorial goes on to add,

Devotees of the Kanchi Mutt are understandably upset. But they should realise that while there should be no public presumption of guilt against the Sankaracharya or indeed against any of the other accused, it would be absurd for them to believe communal allegations that he has been framed by the State Government to `appease minorities after the general election debacle' or for other devious political reasons

(italics mine)
The italicized portion above indicates the tone of the editorial making it clear that all are equal before law. And as the article says, it is indeed very interesting and unusual that -

... this is an extremely rare case of two bitter antagonists, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and DMK president M. Karunanidhi, agreeing on an issue, namely that the law must be allowed to take its course in a highly sensitive case that has no precedent