Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily met Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan and handed over the enquiry report submitted to the government by the Survey of India on alleged land-grabbing by Justice P.D. Dinakaran and his family members. However, according to highly placed sources, the CJI told Mr. Moily that the report was no longer required in view of the proceedings initiated in Parliament for the removal of Justice Dinakaran.
A three-member team from the Survey of India visited Kaverirajapuram in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district and conducted an enquiry into the allegations of land-grab levelled against Justice Dinakaran and his family members. The sources told The Hindu that the report states that “there is encroachment of lands by the companies of the family members of Justice Dinakaran." However, the extent of encroachment was "not clear.” The team's report was essentially in agreement with the Tiruvallur Collector's findings.
Assistance from the Survey of India was sought in the context of Justice Dinakaran denying the Collector's findings that he had encroached upon 199 acres of government lands. At that time, the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice's name was being considered for elevation to the Supreme Court. Asked whether the Survey of India report would be sent to the three-member committee headed by Justice V.S. Sirpurkar of the Supreme Court, the sources said now that Justice Dinakaran's name had been dropped, it was open to the government to deal with the report in whatever manner it wanted.
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The main allegation against Justice Dinakaran was that at Kaverirajapuram in Tiruttani taluk alone the extent of land possessed by the judge and his family members was approximately 500 acres. Further, it was alleged, Justice Dinakaran had progressively encroached upon vast extents of government ‘poromboke' land, government ‘Anadhinam' land, water bodies such as lakes, canals and streams, common village pathways and an ancient mud fortress abutting his patta land.
The Survey of India, after mapping the area and holding an enquiry with the villagers, the State administration and family members of Justice Dinakaran, submitted a revised map of the whole area indicating its findings and obtained the signatures of the parties concerned. The team gave its report to the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, who, in turn, submitted it to the Law Ministry.