Justice PC Ghose set to be named India's 1st Lokpal

Almost 50 years after the Lok Sabha first passed a Lokpal bill and more than five years after a popular anti-corruption movement led to the passage of the legislation in its latest form, retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose is set to be India's first anti-corruption ombudsman.

The selection committee for Lokpal is understood to have cleared Justice Ghose's name with Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge keeping away from deliberations on the ground that the provision for the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha had not been replaced by the leader of the largest party.

The selection of the Lokpal followed the insistence of the Supreme Court, which asked the government what steps had been taken to set up the mechanism expected to consider complaints of corruption in high places. The Anna Hazare-led movement had gained wide traction in 2013 in the wake of a series of scams like Commonwealth Games, 2G and Coalgate during the Manmohan Singh government.

The demand for Lokpal lost steam with subsequent efforts at mobilisation on the issue drawing a tepid response. However, the SC continued to exert pressure on the government, leading to the selection committee of PM Narendra Modi, CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and eminent jurist Mukul Rohatgi considering candidates and agreeing on Justice Ghose. Kharge stayed away from the meetings. It is understood that former police officer Archana Ramasundaram has been approached for appointment as one of the non-judicial members and she has consented.

Justice Ghose, 66, retired as SC judge in May 2017. He has been a member of the National Human Rights Commission since June 29, 2017. The official announcement of his selection is expected soon as the government is likely to inform the SC as part of the hearing on the case.

The law envisages appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to examine specific complaints of corruption. Many states have set up Lokayuktas and there will be an ombudsman at the central level as well. The development comes a week after the SC asked attorney general K K Venugopal to inform it within 10 days when the selection committee was likely to meet.

A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna was informed by Venugopal on March 7 that the Lokpal search committee headed by former SC judge Ranjana Prakash Desai had recommended three panels of names to the selection committee for appointment of chairperson, judicial and non-judicial members.

The SC had on January 17 set up a February-end deadline for the Lokpal search committee to send a panel of names to be considered for appointment as chairman and members. A person who is or has been the CJI or a SC judge is eligible for appointment as Lokpal. #casansaar (Source - PTI, Times of India)