Top Indian judges disclose assets

NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indias Supreme Court judges have voluntarily disclosed their assets, their website showed Tuesday, in a bid to promote transparency and boost confidence in the judicial system.
Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan led the charge, putting details of his belongings, including a nine-year-old hatchback car, 20 pieces of jewellery, three houses and land, on the courts official website.
Balakrishnan estimated his personal landed assets at Rs1.8m ($36,172), while the second most senior judge, SH Kapadia, declared property worth Rs4.1m and one car.
Balakrishnan said he had no bank deposits or stock market investments, unlike others who declared financial interests in some companies.
Twenty other justices also put details of their assets on the website. Court officials said one remaining judge would soon reveal his wealth.
Last year, India, the worlds second-fastest growing economy, slipped further in campaign group Transparency Internationals corruption index from 72nd to 85th in a list of 180 countries.
The anti-corruption watchdog questioned the merit of the judges disclosures, saying there was no way to crosscheck the information.
It is a way forward but it took so much time for them (judges) to declare their assets, Transparency Indias Executive Director Anupama Jha told AFP.
Also, the authenticity of their assets is not known because who will crosscheck it? she asked.
Anti-corruption activist Subhash Aggarwal kicked off an intense national debate in November 2007 when he argued that judges of the apex court could not have immunity from Indias new Right to Information Act.
The Indian parliament in February ordered a three-fold increase in the salaries of Supreme Court judges, cranking up the monthly wages of the chief justice from 33,000 rupees to 100,000 rupees and others to 90,000 rupees.
The judges also enjoy lavish perks such as state bungalows, secretarial staff, free transport and travel, pension, healthcare and security.
Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the disclosures by the Supreme Court justices would put pressure on lower court officials to follow suit.
It will also encourage judges of (state) high courts to publicly declare their assets, Bhushan told the Press Trust of India news agency.
Lower court officials have so far resisted the pressure, saying the information could be used by litigants against them.
The declarations came on the eve of a week-long national drive against official corruption by Indias Central Vigilance Commission, a national anti-corruption watchdog.
Stand up against corrupt practices, the commission said in prominent advertisements in several national newspapers.