K'TAKA HC CHIEF JUSTICE ISSUE: SC COLLEGIUM TO MEET ON FRIDAY
As a controversy raged over the elevation of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, the Supreme Court collegium is likely to meet on Friday to discuss the issue in the face of stiff opposition from the Bar.
Justice Dinakaran, against whom some eminent jurists have expressed reservations in the wake of allegations of amassing of wealth, was summoned by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan to hear his version last Saturday. The judge had reportedly denied the allegations which included acquisition of land in excess of land ceiling laws in Tamil Nadu.
The allegations against Justice Dinakaran cropped up following reports of the Supreme Court collegium clearing his name for elevation as apex court judge.
As the attack on the Karnataka chief justice persisted, the CJI is believed to have convened a meeting of the collegium to discuss the issue but it was not clear whether the recommendation for his elevation could be under review.
Law Minister M Veerappa Moily refused to make any comment whether he would like the matter to be reconsidered by the collegium.
"I have no comments to offer as it is a matter of judicial appointment," he said.
The meeting between Justice Balakrishnan and Dinakaran took place against the backdrop of five legal luminaries writing to the CJI about complaints from several lawyers based in Chennai against the judge.
The leading advocates--F S Nariman, Shanti Bhushan, Ashok Desai, Ram Jethmalani and Anil Divan-- had suggested that the CJI should reconsider the decision to elevate the judge to the Supreme Court.
Related Stories
Bars write to Moily seeking scrapping of SC collegium system
Highly-placed sources said during the meeting at the CJI's residence and attended by some Supreme Court judges, Dinakaran's attention was drawn to the letter sent by the lawyers under the auspices of the Forum for Judicial Accountability levelling charges of land grabbing and other "irregularities" against the judge.
Dinakaran is understood to have denied the charges before returning to Bangalore.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) had on Monday voiced reservation over Dinakaran being appointed to the apex court.
Join LAWyersClubIndia's network for daily News Updates, Judgment Summaries, Articles, Forum Threads, Online Law Courses, and MUCH MORE!!"
Views 388 Report
