Dinakaran to be Sikkim CJ
Karnataka high court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran, facing impeachment proceedings in Parliament following allegations of corruption and land grabbing, was on Friday transferred to Sikkim.
A notification by the Union law and justice ministry stated that the decision was taken by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil after consultation with Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia. Justice Dinakaran has been directed to assume charge as Sikkim high court Chief Justice on or before August 13.
Supreme Court Collegium had, earlier this month, reiterated its stand to transfer Justice Dinakaran to Sikkim. Sources stated as per the laid down procedure the transfer of Dinakaran was expected. “If the Collegium sticks to its recommendation a second time, the government accepts it in accordance with existing conventions,” sources added. The previous Collegium, headed by former Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan, had recommended transferring Justice Dinakaran to the Sikkim high court.
The charges against Dinakaran also include acquiring and possessing agricultural holdings beyond the ceiling limit. An allegation that has been refuted by Justice Dinakaran.
In August last year, the collegium had recommended Justice Dinakaran for promotion to the Supreme Court.
However, after allegations of corruption and land grabbing surfaced and several top jurists objected to his name, the government returned the recommendation to the Collegium. In January, Opposition parties moved an impeachment motion against Justice Dinakaran. The impeachment motion also lists other allegations against Dinakaran like amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income, unlawfully securing five housing board plots in the name of his wife and two daughters and entering into benami transactions. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand high court Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Kheher (57) will take over as Chief Justice of the Karnataka high court on or before August 13.
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