More trouble for Karnataka judge

Karnataka judgeIn fresh trouble for controversial Karnataka High Court Chief Justice PD Dinakaran, 10 Chennai-based lawyers on Saturday provided fresh details of “assets disproportionate to his known sources of income” to the collegium — the committee of five top judges responsible for appointments and promotions of judges.

This is the third representation within a month handed over to the collegium, backed by documents and details of land allegedly acquired by the judge, houses owned by him and his involvement in other business deals.

Justice Dinakaran’s name was recommended by the collegium along with four other judges for promotion to the Supreme Court on August 28, but stiff opposition from the country’s top jurists has forced the senior judges and government to rethink.

“The information and materials submitted by us so far show clearly that the assets possessed by Justice Dinakaran, his wife and children are disproportionate to the known sources of his income,” the lawyers wrote in the latest representation to the collegium.

“Until the process of investigation, enquiry, impeachment and removal is over, Justice Dinakaran should not be allowed to discharge his judicial or administrative functions,” said the letter signed by veteran lawyers R Vaigai and Sriram Panchi, among others..

Dinakaran began his legal career in Chennai and was a high court judge there for 12 years, before moving to Karnataka as the high court chief justice.

The latest move by the lawyers comes at a time when the collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, was exploring ways to proceed in the matter and put an end to the controversy.

A probe into the charges against Justice Dinakaran seemed “very likely”, highly placed sources told HT, adding that the chances of his getting promoted to the SC were reducing with each passing day.

Justice Dinakaran who has consistently denied the allegations refused to comment.