File picture of former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan
The Supreme Court today took exception to an advocate using initials "KGB" to refer to former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan in his petition seeking his removal as the NHRC Chairman.
The Supreme Court bench questioned advocate ML Sharma for using the abbreviated form of his name. "How can you use such term? It is not the name of a company or organisation," the bench said.
It also refused to entertain the petition filed by Sharma against Justice Balakrishnan, who is at present heading the National Human Rights Commission.
The bench said that a similar petition is pending in the apex court and there is no need to multiply the number of petitions on the same issue.
Alleging that Justice Balakrishnan and his relatives had amassed disproportionate assets during his tenure as Chief Justice of India, advocate Sharma sought an judicial inquiry against him for his alleged "misbehaviour".
Earlier on August 26, the bench had asked the Centre to file its response on a PIL seeking initiation of removal process of former Justice Balakrishnan from the post of NHRC Chairman for his alleged "misbehaviour" and purchase of benami properties.
During the brief hearing, the bench had said let the Ministry of Law and Justice apprise the court about the status of the earlier complaint filed on this issue.
"More than two-and-a-half years have elapsed since we made the complaint with them. The complaint was supported by documents also. This issue cannot be allowed to go on and on," lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who has filed the PIL on behalf of NGO Common Cause, had said.