When the Supreme Court had sought transparency from its judges on the issue of their assets, this isn't what it would have expected

For SC woman judge, unmarried daughters are 'liabilities'

When the Supreme Court had sought transparency from its judges on the issue of their assets, this isn't what it would have expected.

While declaring her assets and liabilities, the only woman judge in the SC at present, Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra, has listed the marriage of her two daughters in the "liabilities" column.

On the official website of the Supreme Court, in the assets of sitting judges column, Justice Mishra has listed "two daughters to be married" in the liabilities column.

Other entries in the liabilities column are "guarantor for education loan of my daughter" and residential house to be built post-retirement.

Justice Mishra, who formerly headed the Chhattisgarh high court, has declared "stridhan" of one gold set and "few gold rings and a pair of bangles" as jewellery. There are no shares or mutual funds and fixed deposits total just Rs 5 lakh.

Justice Mishra has a PPF of Rs 3 lakh and has listed her VIth pay commission arrears as well. Her landed property includes an original allottee of one flat in a society for judges and lawyers in Mayur Vihar in Delhi and a residential plot in Faridabad. The flat and plot cost Rs 5 and Rs 6 lakh at purchase though their value would be much higher now.

She has shown nothing to declare under the vehicle column while her spouse owns just one Maruti 800. He also has an office space in Rani Bagh purchased in 1999 for Rs 4 lakh and one unregistered residential plot in Fraidabad. He is also claimant to a share in joint family property in Dhanbad.

Moily backs ex-CJI

Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said the charge that former chief justice of India KG Balakrishnan's son-in-law PV Srinijin acquired large assets in a short period needs verification. Referring to the demand for probe against Srinijin made by retired Supreme Court judge VR Krishna Iyer, Moily told reporters here that he could not comment on such issues without knowing facts.
"Issues like whether the former CJI was involved, whether he has misused his office, have to be verified. Without knowing (it), I do not want to comment," he said. A TV channel in Kerala Sunday aired a report claiming that Srinijin, a Congress leader and a lawyer by profession, had acquired huge wealth in the past three-four years.

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