The Bar Council of Kerala on Sunday resolved to petition the President to order a comprehensive investigation into allegations against the former Chief Justice of India, K.G. Balakrishnan, and his close relatives.
The resolution, passed unanimously by a meeting of the 25-member council, said a comprehensive and in-depth investigation was necessary to remove apprehensions in the minds of the people about the person who had held the highest judicial position in the country.
Only four members, including Advocate-General and ex-officio member C.P. Sudhakar Prasad, did not attend the meeting, which was presided over by council chairman K. Jayarajan. Mr. Jayarajan told The Hindu that before adopting the resolution, the council had had serious discussions on the fallout of the allegations. “Charges of corruption against the judiciary are a serious issue,” he said. “If people lose confidence in the judiciary, it will lead to the collapse of democracy.”
Mr. Jayarajan said the petition to the President would be sent on Monday.
Mr. Balakrishnan's son-in-law P.V. Sreenijin, against whom the State government has ordered a vigilance inquiry, resigned last Wednesday from the Youth Congress. Mr. Balakrishnan's brother, K.G. Bhaskaran, resigned as Special Government Pleader at the High Court on Friday last following allegations that he had amassed wealth disproportionate to the known sources of his income.
