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CJI seeks report from Survey of India

J. Venkatesan

As Dinakaran denies Collector’s version

Land in question to be surveyed
CJI calls for Tamil Nadu’s views on Collector’s report

New Delhi: In a new twist to the controversy over allegations against Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran, Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan has sought the Survey of India’s assistance to ascertain whether the judge encroached upon a large extent of government land as stated by the Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu) Collector.

The decision to seek a report from the scientific mapping organisation under the Government of India’s Department of Science and Technology is a sequel to Justice Dinakaran meeting the CJI during the recent all-India Chief Justices conference and stoutly denying the Collector’s version.

According to highly placed sources, the Collector, in his report, said Justice Dinakaran put up a barbed wire fence around patta land and government land. Justice Dinakaran, in his reply, was understood to have denied this charge. One of the lawyers’ associations in the Madras High Court also sent a memorandum denying the allegations of land encroachment.

In the light of Justice Dinakaran’s denial, the Surveyor-General’s office has been requested to conduct a survey of the area in question and submit a report. It will take into consideration the Collector’s report and the reply by Justice Dinakaran and his family members.

The CJI has also sought the views of the Tamil Nadu government on the Collector’s report and enquiries reveal that it is yet to send its response.

The Supreme Court collegium of judges headed by the CJI has decided to put on hold the elevation of Justice Dinakaran to the Supreme Court and the next course of action will be taken after reports from the Surveyor-General and the Tamil Nadu government.

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