SC gives nod for impeachment proceedings against Dinakaran

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that Sikkim high court chief justice P D Dinakaran's petition challenging the impeachment proceedings against him for alleged corrupt practices and misconduct was motivated.

The apex court refused to stay impeachment proceedings against him.

The court has also ordered change of jurist member in Rajya Sabha chairman appointed Inquiry Committee, which is probing charges against Dinakaran against whom a motion for removal is admitted in upper house of Parliament.

Senior advocate PP Rao will now be replaced with another jurist in the committee headed by a SC judge, justice Aftab Alam. This could delay the process of removal of justice Dinakaran.

Justice Dinakaran had challenged the proceedings on the ground that the panel had framed additional charges and was also independently conducting investigations and collecting material against him which, according to the judge, was not permissible under law. He has also sought recusal of senior counsel P P Rao.

The charges against the judge include land grabbing, accumulation of unaccounted assets, passing judicial order for extraneous considerations, following which his elevation to the Supreme Court was also stalled.