Advocates call for Dinakaran transfer

The Advocates Association of Bangalore today demanded the transfer of Karnataka High Court chief justice P D Dinakaran who faces an impeachment motion for alleged disproportionate assets and land-grabbing.

“We had demanded the transfer of justice Dinakaran when he met the members of the (Supreme Court) Collegium in the first week of December and we reiterated the demand today,” Putte Gowda, president of the Association, said.

The demand comes a day after a notification was issued by the high court registrar-general R B Budhihal stating that justice Dinakaran will not take up judicial matters until further orders. Justice Dinakaran had been on leave for a week and had not been presiding over the court proceedings.

Seventy six MPs of the Rajya Sabha moved a petition on December 14 for the impeachment of justice Dinakaran.

The association members launched an agitation last month demanding justice Dinakaran abstain from presiding the bench till the Supreme Collegium decides on the matter relating to his elevation as a judge to the Supreme Court and the allegations against him.

The agitation had turned violent after association members barged into the court hall where Justice Dinakaran was presiding and demanded he abstain from doing so. Two judges, who refused to suspend hearing on the day, were locked inside the court hall.