Dinakaran wants media kept out of hearing

New Delhi: Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court P.D. Dinakaran on Wednesday filed an application before the committee probing charges of corruption, land grab and abuse of judicial office against him, demanding that media be kept out of the hearing on the removal proceedings and that they be held ‘in-camera.'

The application was filed before the panel that comprises Justice Aftab Alam of the Supreme Court, Karnataka High Court Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and senior advocate P.P. Rao.

Justice Dinakaran also filed an application seeking a review of the order on his preliminary objection that Mr. Rao should recuse himself from the probe as he was biased.

The panel, which had issued the charge sheet to Justice Dinakaran, dismissed his application on April 24. (Mr. Rao did not participate in that meeting.)

‘Counsel not heard'

Justice Dinakaran said his counsel was not heard before the committee passed the order.

Rejecting the application, the committee said the hearing would begin on Thursday.

Senior counsel for the panel U.U. Lalit said that based on the written statements filed by Justice Dinakaran to the 16 charges, there was no ground to drop any of the charges.

Accordingly, the committee retained all the charges mentioned in the motion under Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 for removal of Justice Dinakaran, admitted in Parliament on December 17, 2009.

On Tuesday, Justice Dinakaran moved the Supreme Court challenging the order refusing his plea seeking recusal of Mr. Rao and this petition is yet to come up for hearing.

He had sought a stay on the removal proceedings.