Sack Balakrishnan if he does not quit,says ex-CJI Verma

Verma said,He continues to be the NHRC chairman.

A day after the Income Tax Department made a sensational disclosure that the kin of former Chief Justice of India (CJI) and current National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman K G Balakrishnan possesses black money,former CJI J S Verma on Sunday asked Balakrishnan to quit as the NHRC chief. Verma,known for his frank words on the issue of corruption in judiciary and judicial accountability,said that if Balakrishnan didnt resign on his own,the President should intervene to get him removed from the post.

I think he (Balakrishnan) should quit and if the allegations are not true according to him,the burden lies on him to prove them wrong as silence is no longer an option, Verma said when asked to react to the charge by the I-T department.

Asked for the options with the government if Balakrishnan didnt step down on his own,Verma said,Well,in that case,I think its time the President should move in to take action. There is,after all,a provision for removal. If he chooses to keep quiet and doesnt have himself cleared,well then,the removal proceedings should be commenced.

Verma said,He continues to be the NHRC chairman. His words hold no credibility. Corruption is the most egregious form of human rights violation. And a person accused of serious human rights violation heading the NHRC is itself a great travesty of justice, Verma,who is himself a former NHRC chairman,said.

Verma added that it was for Balakrishnan to come clean on the allegations that his relatives suddenly became rich during his term at the helm in the Supreme Court.

So far,Balakrishnan has refused to comment on the claim made by the I-T department.

On Saturday,Income-Tax director general (investigations) E T Luckose had told reporters at Kochi that the departments probe into the wealth of Balakrishnans sons-in-law P V Sreenijan and M J Benny and brother K G Bhaskaran,a former government pleader,had revealed that they have unaccounted money. The sons-in-law are advocates and one of them is also a Congress leader.

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The investigation,carried out by the I-T intelligence unit in Kochi,would be complete next month,the DG had said.