New Delhi, June 15: Was ex-CJI Balakrishnan a fixer? Ex-judge says he was approached’Ex-CJI’s brother used his name for personal gains’Property details of KG Balakrishnan’s family members
Special to Firstpost
Advocate A Jayashanker critiques the rise and fall from grace of former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan (KGB) in a conversation with VK Shashikumar of THL-Mediagrove. Edited excerpts:
It was K Karunakaran who picked up KGB and supported his candidature (to the post of High Court judge). KGB was practicing in the Kerala High Court as an advocate under P Shantalingam. Senior lawyers (in Kerala) believe that Karunakaran directed KGB to resign from judicial service when he was a sub judge and start practicing in the High Court.
The motive behind this directive was to create the grounds for recommending his name for the post of High Court Judge. KGB resigned from the judicial service to start practicing in the High Court. But he was not a successful lawyer. In 1985, he was appointed as a judge in the Kerala High court. He was appointed as a judge when K Bhaskaran was acting Chief Justice in Kerala.
It was K Karunakaran who picked up KGB and supported his candidature to the post of High Court judge. AFP Photo
At that time several Dalit lawyers and others petitioned the President of India saying KGB didn’t have the required qualifications for being appointed as a judge. A significant section of the lawyers’ fraternity considered his appointment as a back-door entry.
His tenure at the High Court was eventless. He was an honest judge and very cautious. He never entertained family members or relatives. He restricted his brother KG Bhaskaran and other family members from interfering with his affairs. Later he was transferred to the Gujarat High Court and then to the Madras High Court.
He completed his tenure in Gujarat also without a black spot. But when he was Chief Justice of the Madras High court, there were several allegations about fixers or family members influencing his judgments in 1999.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court on 8 June 2000 by the then President KR Narayanan, who was his father’s classmate. I published an article in Madhyamam (a Malayalam newspaper) defending his appointment. The title of the article was “Two Dalits and Indian judiciary”. I was referring to KR Narayanan and KGB who rose to hold the highest constitutional positions in independent India.
In April 2006, KGB’s son-in-law PV Sreenijan got a Congress ticket to contest the Assembly elections from Njarackal reserved assembly constituency. This was the first time Kerala came to know about KGB’s clout in New Delhi.
Sreenijan was not a known leader of the Youth Congress like Kodikunnil Suresh or MA Kuttappan, who have been AK Antony loyalists for long. His (Sreenijan’s) candidature revealed KGB’s influence with the Congress High Command.
I feel that his mighty fall started from his decision to canvass for Sreenijan’s political berth. With that decision, KGB and his family made strong enemies and people started doubting his credentials and integrity.
Kuttappan, former minister and senior Congress leader was the MLA from Njarackal constituency. Since Kuttappan was a sitting MLA he had fair chance to get a renomination in 2006. But his name was deleted by the Congress High Command without explanation. MA Kuttappan went and complained to Antony but the latter expressed his helplessness.
–Agencies