Remove Balakrishnan as NHRC chief: Prashant Bhushan
By IANSTuesday, December 28, 2010
NEW DELHI - Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan Tuesday demanded the removal of former chief justice K.G. Balakrishnan as the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the wake of the controversy involving the spectacular increase in the assets of his son-in-law, P.V. Srinijan.
He said that as a part of the initiation of the removal of Balakrishnan as NHRC chairman, the central government should make a presidential reference to the Supreme Court for the ex-CJI’s acts of “serious misconduct” including the case of former communications minister A. Raja trying to influence Justice R. Reghupati of Madras High Court in a bail matter.
Prashant Bhushan said that former chief justice had lied about the mention of Raja’s name in the report of the then Chief Justice H.L. Gokhale of Madras High Court. Gokhale is presently a judge in the Supreme Court.
He also supported retired Supreme Court judge V.R. Krishna Iyer’s demand for the removal of Balakrishnan as NHRC head and a high-level probe into allegations against his family.
An FIR should be lodged under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the assets of Justice Balakrishnan and that of his close relatives should be investigated, Prashant Bhushan added.
Sreenijan is married to advocate K.B.Soni, daughter of Balakrishnan, the chief justice of India between January 2007 and May 2010.
A TV channel in Kerala Sunday aired a report claiming that Srinijin, a Congress leader and a lawyer by profession, had acquired huge wealth in the past three-four years.
