Published On : Fri, Apr 28th, 2017

CJI Khehar could be India’s 1st Lokpal

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Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar
New Delhi:
Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar is likely to be India’s first Lokpal, according to a highly placed source in the government. Justice Khehar will be demitting office on August 28, 2017 and in all probability, by early September, the government will announce Khehar as the Lokpal. That’s the buzz in the corridors of the Supreme Court as well.

The Supreme Court has pushed for an early appointment of lokpal, rejecting the Centre’s argument that the process for appointment of the ombudsman mandated to check corruption in high places had been delayed because of the absence of a leader of Opposition who, under the existing law, ought to be part of the selection committee.

Under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, which came into force on January 16, 2014, Lokpal was to be selected by a panel comprising the PM, the Chief Justice of India or an SC judge nominated by him, Lok Sabha Speaker, LoP and an eminent jurist to be selected by the first four members of the selection panel.