Former CJI Balakrishnan facing nine complaints: RTI

CBI refuses to pass details and follow-up actions

The premier investigating agency has disclosed that it has received a total of nine complaints since May 5, 2010 till January 15 against Justice Balakrishnan, now chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.

Contents of complaints

It, however, refused to pass details on the contents of those complaints and the follow-up actions. “All the complaints were forwarded to Registrar General, Supreme Court of India and the same were returned on March 5 for taking necessary action.

All were forwarded to the branch concerned for taking necessary action,” the CBI said in the reply to RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal.

Host of queries

Agrawal had filed the application containing a host of queries with the probe agency seeking information, along with documents and file notings, on complaints — pending or disposed—against retired Supreme Court and High Court judges.

The Public Information Officer with the CBI disclosed the information in reply on May 20 but did not provide any documents or file noting.

Interestingly, the CBI told Agrawal that a complaint each was received against retired Judges Justice Shivraj V Patil of the Supreme Court, Justice Karni Singh Rathore of the Rajasthan High Court and Justice R C Gandhi of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court but “same has been closed as nothing adverse was found against them.”

In the complaints against Justice Balakrishnan, three have been filed by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara at different places, two each by Delhi-based journalist M Furquan, and V S Radhakrishnan, and remaining two as anonymous complaints received one from the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch at Cochin and one from the Kerala chief minister’s office.

RTI applicant Agrawal, who was not provided with documents or copy of complaints, filed an appeal against the decision with the Chief Public Information Officer, CBI.

A Public Interest Litigation is already pending before the Supreme Court seeking inquiry into the allegations against Justice Balakrishnan and his family members for acquiring disproportionate assets after assuming office as Chief Justice of India.