SC reserves order on probe against former CJI Balakrishnan

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today reserved its order on a plea for its direction to the Centre to take action against NHRC Chairman and former CJI KG Balakrishnan for his alleged misconduct during his tenure as apex court judge.A bench of justices BS Chauhan and JS Khehar reserved its verdict on the petition which also seeks its direction to government to make a Presidential reference to the apex court for removal of former Chief Justice of India Balakrishnan's removal as the chairman of National Human Rights Commission.[caption id="attachment_301438" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Agencies"][/caption]The court was hearing a PIL by civil society Common Cause, which had alleged ex-CJI and his relative amassed wealth far exceeding their legal income during Balakrishnan's tenure as an apex court's judge.Justice Balakrishnan had been elevated as a Supreme Court judge in June 2000 and was appointed the Chief Justice of India on 14 January, 2007. He retired on 12 May, 2010 after which he was appointed NHRC chairman.The NGO has sought direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for making a reference to the apex court under the Human Rights Act to look into the allegations of "misbehaviour" against Justice Balakrishnan."Despite the fact that there is overwhelming evidence indicating that the respondent no 3 (Balakrishnan) has been guilty of several acts of grave misbehaviour, the government has not taken any step for his removal from the NHRC," the NGO counsel Prashant Bhushan had submitted to the court.PTI