The arrest of Jayendra Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Peetham hasraised several legal and political issues. The media’s interest in the case,which has kept it continuously in the headlines, is partly due to the fact thatit is the first time that a Shankaracharya has been arrested, and on suchserious charges as conspiracy to murder. While self confessed and exposedbrokers and wheeler dealers masquerading as godmen such as Chandraswami andPremanada and their ilk have been arrested earlier, this is the first time thata person, regarded by many as a real man of God has been arrested. That alsoexplains the attempt of an issueless and floundering BJP to make politicalcapital out of it.