CJI directs survey of lands owned by Dinakaran

The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan has sought the services of government's technologically advanced surveying and mapping agency to verify allegations of land grabbing against Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran whose elevation to the apex court has been put on hold.

The decision has been taken to employ Department of Survey of India (under the Ministry of Science and Technology) to examine the veracity of the report of Tiruvallur District Collector which has gone against Dinakaran, highly placed sources said.

The development came after Dinakaran had met the CJI on October 25, when he was in New Delhi to attend the conference of Chief Justices and denied all allegations.

Sources said the Surveyor-General's office has been specifically asked to conduct a survey in view of the report of the district collector which said Dinakaran had encroached public land using barbed wire.

The CJI has also sought a response of Tamil Nadu government on the report of the district collector. The CJI had on Sunday said the Centre has been asked to process only the names of four other judges cleared for promotion except Dinakaran as the inquiry into allegations against him was not over.

Sources said "it is still being looked whether there is an iota of evidence of corruption against Dinakaran based on the documents supplied to the collegium".

Meanwhile, the Advocates Association of Bangalore appealed to the Chief Justice of India and the Supreme Court Collegium  on Tuesday, to take a decision immediately over allegations of land grabbing against Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran.

In a letter addressed to the CJI, the AAB also urged him to advise Justice Dinakaran to desist from taking up judicial work pending such a decision by the Collegium. The association alleged the delay in the Collegium taking a decision on the matter and with Justice Dinakaran continuing to preside over court, confidence of the public in the Karnataka High Court was "eroding".

"The dignity and reputation of the institution itself is likely to suffer irreparable damage unless a decision is taken quickly", AAB said expressing apprehension that "matters may go out of hand if there is delay".