Probe against ex-CJI's son-in-law begins

Adding to the woes of former Chief Justice of India and National Human Rights Commission chairman K G Balakrishnan, the Kerala government set in motion the process of vigilance probe against his son-in-law on a complaint of amassing wealth while Balakrishnan's younger brother and government pleader in Kerala High Court K G Bhaskaran went on medical leave in the wake of similar allegations against him.

The second son-in-law of Balakrishnan, M J Benni, also came under shadow with sections of local media reporting that he had also purchased plots of prime land on the suburbs of Kochi within a span of two years. Allegations against Balakrishnan's relatives also had its political reactions with the United Democratic Front as well as the Left ally CPI holding that it was better that former CJI stepped down as the head of the National Human Rights Commission.

State home minister Kodieyri Balakrishnan referred to the home secretary the direction given yesterday by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan to conduct a vigilance probe against Balakrishnan's son-in-law Sreenijan, based on a private complaint that he had amassed disproportionate wealth.

Sreenijan,

a former youth Congress state vice president and who unsuccessfully contested the last assembly polls on a Congress ticket, failed to get any political solace even from his party. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who heads the Congress-led UDF in the assembly, said the front would not criticise the government's action to go in for a probe against Sreenijan.

Balakrishnan's brother Bhaskaran, special government pleader in the Kerala high court went on medical leave as directed by Advocate General K G Sudhakara Prasad to either demit office or go on leave in the wake of allegations against him.

According to media reports, Bhaskaran had purchased about 60 acres of land in Dindigul in Tamil Nadu in 2005-06 in the name of his wife, 4 children and a close relative. Bhaskaran, however, dubbed the reports as 'exaggerated'. Meanwhile, CPI state secretary C K Chandrappan said in Palakkad it was better for Balakrishnan to step down as NHRC chairman or the government should intervene to remove him.

UDF Convener P P Thankachan also echoed the similar view saying that persons holding high positions should step down when confronted with allegations like these.