Ex-CJI lists assets, says no to I-T returns

Express news service: Wed Apr 06 2011,

Thiruvananthapuram, New Delhi : By furnishing details of assets which he had revealed during his term as the Chief Justice of India, Justice K G Balakrishnan has again firmly refused to share details of his Income-Tax returns in an appeal filed under the RTI Act.  

“For the appellant’s satisfaction, I am again giving details of my personal assets,” said Justice Balakrishnan, now the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, who “reiterated” the response which he gave earlier on February 5 to the RTI request. He reaffirmed that he has “no objection in disclosing his total income and taxable income or the amount paid as Income Tax during 2005-2010”

However Balakrishnan underlined that under the law, “in view of Section 8(j) RTI Act, the petitioner/ appellant is not entitled to get Income-Tax returns as it is a personal information”. The said section 8 (1) (j) says personal information, the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or which would cause an invasion of privacy, may not be released unless the authority is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure.

Hence, the Central Information Officer in the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax office, Kochi, had rejected the application moved by Kochi-based RTI activist Dr T Balachandran in February. Subsequently, Balachandran moved the appellate authority, the Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, Kochi.

In a counter statement filed before the appellate authority, Balakrishnan on April 1 said, “It seems the petitioner is in a fishing enquiry to find out my assets, which I had already published on the website of the Supreme Court. Media too reported that I am opposed to disclosure of the content of the IT returns as I wanted to suppress details of my accumulated wealth and assets. For the appellant’s satisfaction I am giving details of my personal assets.”

Following were the details of assets furnished by Balakrishnan:

• A house on an extent of 15 cents of land in Kanayannur taluk in Ernakulam district. The value of the land is not given.
• A 2.2-cent two-bedroom flat in Kochi. Cost: Rs 5.75 lakh.
• Vacant residential plot in Faridabad, 444.45 square yards. Cost: Rs 4.50 lakh.
• 15.840 cents of land in Ernakulam. Cost: Rs 4,33,600. n 62.25 cents of land in Kottayam. Cost Rs 3.5 lakh.
• A Santro car of 2000 model.