New Delhi: With more than 50 Rajya Sabha
members favouring impeachment of Karnataka High Court Chief
Justice P D Dinakaran, a petition in this regard is likely to
be submitted to the House Chairman Md Hamid Ansari early next
week.
A signature campaign is underway and more than 50
Rajya Sabha members from BJP, Left parties and Samajwadi
Party, among others, are understood to have signed the
petition, sources said. Congress members have reportedly
refrained from signing on the document.
As per rules, a petition containing signatures of at
least 50 of the 250 member Rajya Sabha, which is the first
step in the impeachment process.
Under rules, the MPs' petition is sent to the Rajya
Sabha Secretariat for verification of signatures. On being
satisfied that appropriate procedures have been followed, a
committee is set up for further consideration of the petition.
The move to impeach Dinakaran has come in the backdrop
of allegations of land grabbing against him for which his
elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court has been stalled.
Government has already sent back Dinakaran's file to
the Supreme Court Collegium to reconsider its decision to
elevate him.
A resolution, to be carried, should have the support of
two-thirds majority of the members present in each House of
Parliament. After this, the President will pass an order.
If the petition against Dinakaran is considered, it
will be the second petition moved before the Rajya Sabha. The
House has already set up a three-member committee into a
similar petition against Calcutta High Court judge Soumitra
Sen who is facing similar charges.
Denying the charges against him, Dinakaran has
questioned the motive behind the campaign against him and said
he will come out with "clean hands".
The judge has said his delicate position as Chief
Justice has forced him to observe self-restraint to "counter
and expose" the people behind the campaign which ultimately
would not succeed and "truth will prevail".
"It is not for me to prove my innocence. A day would
come when people would realise that I am a person with clean
hands and heart. I will come out of this with clean hands,"
Dinakaran had said.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 12, 2009, 19:39