India gets its first Lokpal: Former Supreme Court judge PC Ghose

New Delhi, March 20: Former Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose has been appointed as the country's first Lokpal. According to a communique issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed the Chairman of the Lokpal along with other members of the anti-corruption watchdog.

 

The Lokpal will have four judicial and four non-judicial members. Former Chief Justices - Dilip B. Bhosale, Pradip Kumar Mohanty, and Abhilasha Kumari and sitting Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court Ajay Kumar Tripathi - have been appointed as judicial members.

The non-judicial members are former first woman Chief of Sashastra Seema Bal Archana Ramasundaram, ex-Maharashtra Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar Jain, former IRS officer Mahender Singh and ex-IAS officer Indrajeet Prasad Gautam.

66-year old Justice Ghose retired as Supreme Court judge in May 2017. He is a member of the National Human Rights Commission since 29th June 2017.

The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, which envisages appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.