The Karnataka High Court which is in the throes of a crisis following allegations of corruption and land grabbing against its Chief Justice, P.D. Dinakaran, was on Wednesday plunged into fresh turmoil when one of the sitting High Court judges convened a meting to discuss the conduct of the Chief Justice.
This is the second time in recent times that such a meeting has been called on the High Court premises. On both occasions, Justice D.V. Shylendra Kumar, had convened the meeting.
Justice Shylendra Kumar had created a stir in the country when he wrote an article on “Judges and the Right to Information Act.” He was also among the few judges in the country to declare assets and liabilities.
After the High Court refused permission to him to put his assets and liabilities on the court net, Justice Shylendra Kumar had put it on Google mail.
The last time around, the Registrar-General of the High Court had refused permission to hold the meeting at the conference hall. However, this time around, the meeting is being held at the conference hall.
Justice Shylendra Kumar has not only asked Chief Justice Dinakaran not to discharge administrative functions but has also asked him to step down.
Out of bounds
At Wednesday's meeting held in the evening only a handful of judges were present. The venue of the meeting was out of bounds for the media and curious advocates and High Court staff.
The meeting has generated intense interest in the light of a report by the Survey of India on the alleged encroachment of land by Justice Dinakaran and his family members at Kaverirajapuram in Tamil Nadu.
Changing atmosphere
Justice Shylendra Kumar took the lead to organise the meeting with the intention to discuss the further course of action. In his letters to all the judges of the High Court, Justice Shylendra Kumar lamented the changing atmosphere in the High Court.
He said earlier, judges met regularly over a cup of tea and also over weekend lunches. Now all this is missing and the atmosphere in the High Court has changed. “After the Chief Justice's episode, we have not been able to meet for tea party or lunch over a weekend.”
