Justice Bhargava denies charges of corruption

GUWAHATI, September 3: The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) chairman, Justice Surendra Nath Bhargava, has denied reports appearing in a section of the press that he was involved in any financial wrongdoing during his tenure as Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, before he took up his present assignment. "I am pained to see such reports", Justice Bhargava said. "Three years after my retirement from the post I am now being accused of misappropriating a few thousand rupees which is not fair", he said. Of late, some reports have appeared in the press that Justice Bhargava, during his stint at the Sikkim HC had withdrawn excess salary, retained books with himself and did not return them despite notices being served on him. Denying such allegations, Justice Bhargava pointed out the reasons that has given rise to such controversies. He said that till some time ago, no audit was done in the Sikkim HC which led to a lot of irregularities. "When I retired, there was an audit conducted as a result of which several lapses were discovered", he said.