Panel probing justice dinakaran 'not in order'

The inquiry panel investigating allegations of corruption against controversial former Chief Justice of Sikkim high court, Justice PD Dinakaran, cancelled its meeting on Saturday, in a clear indication of its future being uncertain. Nagendar Sharma reports.

The inquiry panel investigating allegations of corruption against controversial former Chief Justice of Sikkim high court, Justice PD Dinakaran, cancelled its meeting on Saturday, in a clear indication of its future being uncertain.

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The meeting was put off a day after Justice Dinakaran questioned the decision of the three-member panel, headed by Justice Aftab Alam of the Supreme Court, to continue with the proceedings more than six weeks after his resignation.

Though the committee is not required to give any reason for the postponement or cancellation of its meeting, it is learnt that one of its member, Justice JS Khehar, Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, expressed his inability to continue further, following his promotion to the Supreme Court.

This development puts the ball in the court of Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari, who had set up the probe panel last year. He would now have to take a call on whether to look for a replacement for Justice Khehar or wind up the committee.

In response to the panel's notice asking him to appear before it on Saturday, Justice Dinakaran slammed the panel as biased. "I am fortified in my view that this notice for reviving the impeachment proceeding against me is illegal and improper in view of recent development of dropping of impeachment proceedings against Justice Soumitra Sen by Lok Sabha," he said.

He also charged the inquiry committee with exceeding its brief. "My apprehension is backed by the facts that the officers of the inquiry committee made umpteen number of phone calls and asked income tax officers to issue notices, bank officers to cancel loans and agricultural subsidy." He had resigned shortly after the SC had dismissed his petition.