Former Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan’s younger brother K.G. Bhaskaran, who had gone on medical leave following allegations of amassing wealth, today resigned as special government pleader in Kerala High Court. In his resignation letter, sent to advocate-general C.P. Sudhakara Prasad, Bhaskaran said he was resigning on health grounds. Prasad had earlier asked him to go on leave or quit. This is the second resignation following the media exposures on wealth...

After visits to 17 states, a committee set up in April last year to check out the implementation of India’s Forest Rights Act, meant to fix “historical injustice,” wasn’t very happy. The law, which came into full effect two years ago, was intended to assert the rights of forest dwellers more firmly. “The overall finding of the committee is that, with notable exceptions, the implementation of the FRA has been poor,...

Before the environment minister Jairam Ramesh takes a call on Posco by the end of January the ministry is expected to put up the last of the three reviews of the Rs 54,000 crore project for his perusal – on the Coastal Regulation Zone clearance for the steel plant and the planned port. The review of the CRZ clearance for the project may land the Korean giant in trouble with...

Yet another son-in-law of former Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan has been accused of amassing wealth disproportionate to his declared income in Kerala’s commercial hub of Kochi. Land registration documents show that advocate M.J. Benny, husband of Balakrishnan’s younger daughter K.B. Rani, bought nearly one acre of land under five different title deeds in fast-growing Marad, near the site of a proposed hi-tech city, for a total Rs 81 lakh...

The wife of a leading Indian human rights activist who has been sent to prison for helping Maoist rebels has said she may seek "political asylum". Ilina Sen, wife of Dr Binayak Sen, told reporters that she and her family were "not feeling safe in India" after her husband's incarceration. Last month Dr Sen was found guilty of carrying messages and setting up bank accounts for the rebels. Activists say the evidence against...