KG Balakrishnan needs to speak up

Former chief justice of India and chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) KG Balakrishnan is in the middle of a storm over the doings of his family members.

His brother, KG Bhaskaran, and his two sons-in-law, PV Sreenijan and MJ Benny, all stand accused of amassing and owning property disproportionate to their known means of income. Distinguished legal luminaries such as VR Krishna Iyer and Fali Nariman have demanded that Balakrishnan should step down as NHRC chief.

What is the connection between Balakrishnan and the questionable financial status of his relatives? The allegation is that his brothers and his sons-in-law have acquired the properties while Balakrishnan was the chief justice of India. Even that would not make legal sense unless it is proved conclusively in a court of law that the former chief justice was complicit in the deals. He cannot be faulted that his name was misused unless it is proven that he helped them in their financial deals.

There is however the question of image and credibility because Balakrishnan is holding an important office. As chief justice he did not inspire confidence because of his wobbly stand on key issues relating to probity of the higher judiciary.

Last year, he had opposed judges declaring their assets, as demanded by an RTI, raising questions about why he was so reluctant on transparency questions. He also did not oppose the promotion of Karnataka chief justice PD Dinakaran, who faced charges of corruption, to the Supreme Court.

He failed to show the zeal that was expected from our highest judicial officer. It would have been better if he was not appointed as NHRC chairman after he demitted office as chief justice because he did not display any extraordinary flair on constitutional matters or on the question of human rights.

The new round of accusations places Balakrishnan in a tight spot, and he should come out with a clear statement that he has nothing to do with the financial deals of his brother and sons-in-law. This is necessary, not just to keep himself in the clear, but also to preserve the credibility and reputation of the NHRC.