Sirpurkar quits probe panel

In a sudden development, Justice V.S. Sirpurkar on Wednesday recused himself from the three-member committee investigating allegations of corruption and land-grab against Justice P.D. Dinakaran.


The Supreme Court judge met Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari here and expressed his inability to continue as the chairperson of the committee, which was set up after 75 opposition members in the House moved a motion for the removal of Justice Dinakaran from office.

Earlier this month, the Chennai-based Forum for Judicial Accountability, in a memorandum to the committee, urged Justice Sirpurkar to recuse himself for an impartial probe. It pointed out that he and Justice Dinakaran worked together in the Madras High Court. Justice Dinakaran later became the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court and has since been transferred to the Sikkim High Court.