New Delhi: The credentials of a Kerala-
based human rights activist, who has been pursuing the Sister
Abhaya murder case, has come under the scanner of the Supreme
Court which today directed him to prove his bonafide and mode
of funding to run his NGO.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and
Justice B S Chauhan asked Jomon Puthenpurackal, who claimed
to be a rights activist, to answer 23 questions raised by the
Kerala High Court to rise above suspicion.
The High Court, which had allegedly doubted his
credentials and questioned the funding received under the
pretext of vindicating the death of Sister Abhaya, had ordered
the DGP to constitute a special team to investigate his
activities.
Senior advocate V Kanakraj, appearing for Jomon,
opposed the High Court order saying there was no need for
any inquiry against a person who has been raising public
issues through PILs.
However, the Bench said the right activist should not
be afraid of facing the investigators if he was working with
clean hands.
"Why are you afraid of inquiry? You have filed
hundreds of PILs," the apex court Bench said when Kanakraj
opposed the High Court order in this regard.
Later, the Bench adopted the middle-path and asked
Jomon to answer each of the 23 questions which ranged from his
educational qualification to family background and source of
income.
-PTI
First Published: Friday, January 08, 2010, 00:53