Why is elevation issue still kept pending, asks Bar association

The Supreme Court Bar Association has requested Chief Justice of India (CJI) K.G. Balakrishnan and the Supreme Court collegium to drop Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran’s name from the list for elevation to the Supreme Court.

In a statement, SCBA president M.N. Krishnamani said it was surprising that the collegium was still keeping the elevation issue pending in spite of an adverse report by the Tiruvallur Collector that Justice Dinakaran encroached on government land.

The statement said: “Judges should be like Caesar’s wife and have to be beyond suspicion. Is Justice Dinakaran so indispensable for judiciary that if he is not elevated to the Supreme Court, the judicial system will collapse? If, in spite of the report of the District Collector and in spite of the fact that Justice Dinakaran [allegedly] attempted to remove the fence to cause disappearance of evidence against him, [there is any attempt] to bring him to the Supreme Court, the Bar and the people will not accept the same. The Bar will protest against any such move.”

Bangalore Staff Reporter reports:

Meanwhile, a section of the legal fraternity in Bangalore on Monday decided to write to the CJI requesting him to ask Justice Dinakaran to refrain from presiding over court sittings.

Office-bearers and senior advocates signed a letter drafted by the Advocates Association of Bangalore (AAB) requesting the CJI and the collegium to ask Justice Dinakaran to stop attending court proceedings. One of the advocates and former Karnataka State Bar Council Chairman, Sadashiva Reddy, said he would go on fast in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bangalore from November 3 in protest against Justice Dinakaran continuing in the post.

AAB president K.N. Putte Gowda told The Hindu that a general body meeting of the association would be held on Thursday to discuss the future course of action.