Thaindian News

Kochi, Jan 12 (IANS) Income Tax department sleuths who have begun a probe into the alleged illegal wealth of relatives of former chief justice of India (CJI) K.G. Balakrishnan in Kerala have made steady progress, an official said Wednesday.An Income Tax (IT) official, who did not wish to be identified, said they were probing reports of illegal wealth accumulation by two son-in-laws and brother of Balakrishnan.

The former CJI’s brother K.G. Bhaskaran, a former special government pleader, quit after media reports alleged wrongdoing by him.

It was retired apex court judge V.R. Krishna Iyer who unleashed a scathing attack against Balakrishnan after media reports pointed to corruption by his kin.

One of Balakrishan’s sons-in-law, P.V. Srinijin, a former Youth Congress office-bearer who was a Congress candidate in the 2006 Kerala assembly polls, has come under attack from several quarters.

Srinijin’s statement of assets filed before the polls showed that he virtually had no assets.

In a span of four years, he and his immediate family, according to news reports, acquired several properties and vehicles.

After the controversy surfaced, the Youth Congress ordered an inquiry against him. But Srinijin quit before the inquiry could start.

A few bar associations in the state have passed resolutions asking Balakrishnan to step down from his present post of chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.

In the capital city, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who ordered a vigilance probe against Srinijin, told reporters that so far he had not got any report from officials that a vigilance probe could not be initiated against him.