Karnataka judge declares assets online

Justice D V Shylendra Kumar, a Karnataka high court judge, who disclosed his assets to the registrar general of the high court on Wednesday, released an online statement on Thursday saying he chose to do so after he was not allowed to display it on the court's website.

Justice Kumar also posted details of his assets on http://sites.google.com/site/justdvskumar/asset-particulars saying: "Details are being displayed here as Honourable Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court has prevented the information from being displayed on the high court website."

As per the details posted on the web, Justice Kumar owns immovable property, including a 50 ftx80 ft Bangalore Development Authority site valued at Rs 367,900 and 11 acres of agricultural land at Agrahara village in Denkanikote taluk of Tamil Nadu.

The agricultural land is a part of the ancestral property allotted to him in 1976, as his share in the family assets, now held as Hindu Undivided Family property.

Justice Kumar's assets also include an agricultural land measuring about 59 cents located at Jujuvadi village in Hosur taluk of Tamil Nadu, purchased in 1978 for Rs 3,000.

The current value of these assets are not known nor relevant for the present purpose, the judge said on the site.

A note attached said the particulars furnished "may not be accurate to the pie or to the decimal, but are sufficient to serve the purpose for which it is furnished".

Justice Kumar had first created ripples by writing an article in a newspaper on public declaration of assets by judges and later questioned Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan's authority to speak on behalf of all judges on the issue.

The CJI had hit back saying the judge was "publicity crazy".

In the declaration:

Among other details, the judge has said that his house at Park Area in Bangalore was purchased jointly by the judge and his wife for Rs 7.5 lakh in 1990, and that now his wife was the sole owner of the house.

He declared that his movable assets include a car valued at Rs 3.55 lakh purchased in February 1996 with bank finance.

Deposits and balance in bank accounts include a balance of Rs 4,93,592 in a savings bank account held jointly with his wife in the State Bank of India, and savings of Rs 5,74,426.47 and another account of Rs 25,209 (as of 31/3/09) with ING Vysya Bank.

The judge said he also had NSC account in post office of Rs 3,96,169 and a balance in PPF account at SBI of Rs 1,52,957.30 (as of 31/3/2009).

His assets also include balance in GPF maintained by the Office of the Accountant General in Karnataka amounting to Rs 14,23,145 (as of 31/3/09) and fixed deposit in SBI branch, held jointly with his wife of Rs 3,00,000.

The list of declaration also includes details of stocks and debentures of various companies held by the judge. Their present value, however, is not mentioned.