Bangalore Advocates Association welcomes collegium's decision

"We welcome the decision. The apex court collegium could have taken the decision long back to uphold the dignity of the judiciary," K N Putte Gowda, president of the association which has been spearheading a stir against Justice Dinakaran in the wake of the charges against him, told reporters. The collegium had rightly advised him to go on leave till the inquiry was completed as Justice Dinakaran could not have discharged his duties with a "free mind" in view of a "threat of an impeachment", he said.

Highly placed sources in Delhi said the decision was taken against Dinakaran, who has not been performing any judicial work since December last, as several representations were received that the judicial work of the High Court has been hit. Dinakaran has not been performing judicial functions after Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari admitted a motion in December seeking his removal on charges of corruption, land-grab and abuse of judicial office.

Allegations listed in the impeachment motion against Justice Dinakaran included possessing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income, unlawfully securing five housing board plots in the name of his wife and two daughters, entering into benami transactions, and acquiring and possessing agricultural holdings beyond ceiling limit.

Other allegations related to illegal encroachment on government and public property to deprive dalits and poor of their livelihood, violation of human rights of dalits and poor and destruction of evidence during official inquiry.


Meanwhile, CPI(M) Tamil Nadu unit secretary G Ramakrishnan demanded that the land allegedly encroached upon by Justice Dinakaran be reclaimed and distributed among landless Dalits.

Tiruvallur District Collector in his report had endorsed the charges of land grab against Justice Dinakaran, he said. CPI-M affiliated farmers' body had spearheaded a campaign against the alleged encroachment at Dinakaran's native village in Kaverirajapuram in Tiruvallur district.