Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, whose elevation to the Supreme Court was halted, has been asked by the apex court Collegium to go on leave.

Highly placed sources said the decision was taken against Dinakaran, who has not been performing any judicial work since December last, as several representations were received that the judicial work of the high court has been hit.

Sources said the collegium has also cleared the name of the acting chief justice of the Delhi High Court Justice Madan B Lokur to be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.

The collegium has also recommended the name of the senior-most judge of the Jharkhand High Court M Y Eqbal as the new Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. He will succeed Justice H L Gokhale, who has been recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court.

Putte Gowda, president of Karnataka High Court bar association welcomed the decision of the collegium to appoint the new chief justice.

59-year-old Dinakaran has not been performing judicial functions after Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari admitted a motion in December seeking his removal on charges of corruption, land-grab and abuse of judicial office.

Allegations listed in the impeachment motion against Justice Dinakaran included possessing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income, unlawfully securing five housing board plots in the name of his wife and two daughters, entering into benami transactions, and acquiring and possessing agricultural holdings beyond ceiling limit.

Other allegations related to illegal encroachment on government and public property to deprive dalits and poor of their livelihood, violation of human rights of dalits and poor and destruction of evidence during official enquiry.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) Tamil Nadu unit secretary G Ramakrishnan demanded that the land allegedly encroached upon by Justice Dinakaran should be reclaimed and distributed among landless Dalits.

Tiruvallur district collector in his report to the Chief Justice of India had endorsed charges of land grab against Justice Dinakaran, he claimed.

CPI-M affiliated farmers' body had spearheaded a campaign against the alleged encroachment at Dinakaran's native village in Kaverirajapuram in Tiruvallur district