Sikkim lawyers seek chief minister's cooperation to stall Dinakaran's posting

Sikkim lawyers, agitating against former Karnataka high court chief justice PD Dinakaran's transfer to Gangtok in the same capacity, has sought chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling's 'cooperation' to stall the posting.

"We met the chief minister and submitted to him yesterday a copy of the resolution adopted by Sikkim Bar Association members against the transfer of justice Dinakaran to Gangtok and solicited his support for the campaign on the issue," its president DR Thapa told PTI in Gangtok.

"We also explained to the chief minister how the transfer of justice Dinakaran, who has been mired with land grabbing and other charges, may affect the integrity of the judicial institutions in Sikkim," he said.

Asked, Thapa said the chief minister received a copy of the bar association resolution but did not make any comment.

The association members will also meet acting governor MK Narayanan on April 14 to seek his help to stall Dinakaran's transfer to Sikkim.

They would also seek an appointment with president Pratibha Patil, who is tentatively scheduled to arrive here on a three-day visit from April 14, to request her not to send the controversial judge to Sikkim.

The lawyers had earlier decided to boycott the swearing-in of Dinakaran as well as the courts to be presided over by him in the event of his transfer to Sikkim.

The bar members had adopted a resolution to oppose Dinakaran's transfer to Sikkim and faxed copies of it to the president, vice-president, prime minister and chief justice of India for corrective action.