Karnataka HC judge fires salvo against CJ Dinakaran

A Karnataka High Court judge, who had sometime ago created a flutter going public with his assets, on Friday sought to put the controversial chief justice P D Dinkaran in the dock by seeking a meeting of all judges to discuss his administrative powers while keeping away from judicial work.

A Karnataka High Court judge, who had sometime ago created a flutter going public with his assets, on Friday sought to put the controversial chief justice P D Dinkaran in the dock by seeking a meeting of all judges to discuss his administrative powers while keeping away from judicial work.

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However, the move floundered with Dinkaran refusing permission for such a meeting. Justice D V Shylendra Kumar said in a posting on his website that he had sought the meeting tomorrow but was given to understand from the court Registrar General, Judiciary, R B Budihal that the Chief Justice, before whom the matter was placed for orders, had declined permission.

In a letter to Budihal, Justice Kumar said "you (Budihal) are hereby directed to circulate a requisition on my behalf for a meeting of all judges of the High Court of Karnataka, including Chief Justice, for the purpose of discussing the propriety, justification and desirability of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka, who is not discharging the functions or taking decisions on the administrative side...."

He said the "administrative power vested in the Chief Justice of the High Court is only incidental to holding the post of Chief Justice of the High Court and while functioning on the judicial side as Chief Justice of the High Court."

Justice Dinakaran faces a motion for his impeachment in the wake of allegations of land grabbing and amassing disproportionate assets, and chances of his elevation to the Supreme Court were virtually sealed with Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Friday ruling out such a possibility at this stage.