New Delhi: Government today indicated that
Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, facing
impeachment proceedings in Parliament, will have to go on
leave as advised by the Supreme Court Collegium, holding that
he is not above the law.
"The hand of law is quite long enough to catch
anyone. I don't think Justice Dinarakan is above the law, or
he is beyond the reach of the law," Law Minister M Veerappa
Moily told reporters here.
He was asked about the Government's view on Justice
Dinakaran not proceeding on leave despite being asked by the
apex court panel to do so last week.
Moily refused to say anything further on the issue.
The decision was taken to ask Justice Dinakaran to go
on leave as several representations were received that the
work of the High Court has been hit as he had not been
performing any judicial work since December last.
The Collegium has also cleared the name of the Acting
Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Justice Madan B Lokur to
be appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High
Court.
The 59-year-old Karnataka High Court Chief Justice has
not been performing judicial functions after Rajya Sabha
Chairman Hamid Ansari admitted a motion in December seeking
his removal on charges of corruption, land-grab and abuse of
judicial office. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.
After the Collegium's decision, senior advocate Shanti
Bhushan had said Justice Dinakaran can defy the Collegium's
advice to go on leave. He said an acting chief justice can
only assume charge if the chief justice proceeds on leave.
Sources said that an acting chief justice can be in
place in Karnataka even when Justice Dinakaran goes on leave.
-PTI
First Published: Thursday, April 08, 2010, 17:58