Assets case: Centre submits report on former Chief Justice to Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that it is probing into the allegations that former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan and his relatives had amassed disproportionate assets during his tenure as judge and submitted a probe status report to it in a sealed envelope.

Appearing before a bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justice Swatanter Kumar, Attorney General G E Vahanvati said the Income Tax Department is currently engaged in assessing the properties of Balakrishnan's two son-in-laws and brother.

The bench after going through the report asked the government to tell it as to what further action it intended to take on allegations against former Chief Justice of India (CJI).

The bench granted three weeks to appraise it of the future course of action, to be taken by the government on the issue.

The court's direction came during hearing of a Public Interest Litigation filed by civil society Common Cause, which alleged that ex-CJI and his relative amassed wealth far exceeding their legal income during Mr Balakrishnan's tenure as an apex court's judge.

The Public Interest Litigation sought apex court's direction to the government to take proper action against the ex-CJI, who is presently the chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).