New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran Thursday said the allegations of land grab against him were “baseless” and “incorrect” and were causing great anguish to his family.
“Yes, there are allegations levelled against me, without any substance, without any basis, without even any personal verification,” Dinakaran said in an interview to Times Now.

He said he would like people to “visit and see” if there was any encroachment of government land at Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu, as alleged, and “verify records whether these lands and properties were purchased after my elevation or prior to the elevation (as Tamil Nadu High Court judge).

“The documents will speak the truth, my returns to the Income Tax authorities … will reveal that these lands were owned by me even before my elevation on Dec 19, 1996,” he said.

The charges were levelled by a section of lawyers in Tamil Nadu, where Dinakaran practiced law before appointment as a judge of the high court of that state in December 1996.

Land grab allegations against Dinakaran surfaced after the Supreme Court collegium decided to recommend his appointment as an apex court judge.

“This allegation is baseless and incorrect,” he added.

“…My family is going through so much of anguish. One should step into our position and see from our angle and not merely look at us. Particularly if the media thinks from my and my family’s position, they will understand the turmoil we are going through, the hardships we are undergoing,” he added.

“When my conscience is clear that I have not committed any impropriety, illegality, misbehaviour of misconduct where is the question of not going to court?” he said, referring to demands from lawyers that he should not attend court.

Commenting on a petition by 75 Rajya Sabha MPs for impeaching him, he said: “I don’t want to comment. It’s a closed chapter. It was a bad dream in Karnataka’s history. Let’s forget it.”

Dinakaran has been told not to hold court following a Karnataka government order stating that he will not take up judicial matters until further orders. The notification did not assign any reason.