New Delhi: An NGO, seeking removal of former CJI KG Balakrishnan as the NHRC chairman for his alleged misconduct, on Monday told the Supreme Court that a key document of the Centre on probe into disproportionate assets against him and his kins has gone "missing" from the apex court files.
This was told to a bench of justices BS Chauhan and JS Khehar by advocate Prashant Bhushan, the counsel for civil society Common Cause, which has moved the apex court for removal of former Chief Justice of India Balakrishnan as the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.
He pointed out to the bench the sequence of events of the March 12 proceedings during which Attorney General GE Vahanvati had placed a two-page note on the status of inquiry.
He informed the court that when the matter was heard last before a bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia, a status report was filed in a sealed cover.
The bench, however, could not find the report in its file.
Wondering as to how could the report go missing from the court files, Bhushan said Vhanwati himself had handed over the report to the CJI during the last hearing.
"It is strange that the two-page note has disappeared from the court file. I am surprised that the note has disappeared from your file. The Attorney General has also disappeared from your court," he said while targetting AG for not appearing in the case.
Additional Solicitor General Gaurav Banerjee, however, objected to his contention, saying the AG is out of town and he has no idea about the status report.
Bhushan said the AG had orally stated that large payment was allegedly made to the son-in-law of Balakrishan by a law firm for the services he never rendered as an advocate.
He said the AG's note was about the probe probably carried by the income tax department.
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