SC asks Lokpal Search Committee to submit names by Feb end

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Lokpal Search Committee to complete its task of shortlisting the names for Lokpal by February end and submit the list for consideration to the Selection Committee. The court will hear the plea on the same on March 7.

After hearing the plea, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi requested Search Committee to complete the task of shortlisting names for members of Lokpal by February end and submit a panel of names for consideration to Selection Committee. It also asks the Centre to provide the necessary infrastructure for the Search Committee.

 

Responding to senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, who raised doubts on the working of Search Committee, Chief Justice Gogoi said: "Don't look at things from a negative point of view. Look at things positively and the world would be a better place. We are trying to make the world a better place."

Last year in September, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government had appointed a Search Committee to nominate the chairperson and the members of the Lokpal.

At that time, Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai was nominated as the chairperson of the committee.

Former State Bank of India (SBI) Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya, Prasar Bharati head A. Surya Prakash, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman A. S. Kiran Kumar, Justice Sakha Ram Singh Yadav, former judge of Allahabad High Court, Shabbirhusein S. Khandwawala, former Gujarat Police head, Lalit K Panwar, retired IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, and Ranjit Kumar are among the members of the committee.

The decision to appoint the committee comes in the wake of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge declining a series of invitations to attend meetings of the Lokpal Selection Committee. He declined invitations for meetings on March 1, April 10, July 19, August 21, September 4 and September 19.

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas are governing bodies at the Centre and state levels respectively, appointed to check corruption by all public servants, including the Prime Minister. The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act was passed in the year 2013.