Former Supreme Court judge Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar was sworn in as the Chairperson of the Lokpal by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday. Khanwilkar had served on the apex court bench from May 13, 2016, to July 29, 2022.
As per a press release from the President’s Secretariat, three judicial members have also been appointed to the Lokpal. The appointees are Justice Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Justice Sanjay Yadav, and Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi.
Additionally, Sushil Chandra, Pankaj Kumar, and Ajay Tirkey have been named as non-judicial members of the Lokpal.
Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority that represents the public interest in India. Lokpal has the jurisdiction to investigate allegations of corruption and corruption related matters against Central Government officers/public officials.
Following the Jan Lokpal movement led by Anna Hazare in 2010, the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act was passed with amendments in the Parliament in 2013.
Lokpal is responsible for investigating allegations of corruption at the national level while Lokayukta performs the same function at the state level. The first Lokpal of India was Pinaki Chand Ghosh who was appointed by (then) President Ramnath Kovind. Pinaki Chandra Ghosh was the Lokpal from 23 March 2019 to 27 May 2022. He was also a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Pradeep Kumar Mohanty was the second Lokpal of India. He was an Indian lawyer and jurist and had been a judicial member of the Lokpal. Lokpal and Lokayukta are appointed under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 2013.
