Former Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose is likely to be the first Lokpal or anti-corruption ombudsman of India, various media reports on Sunday, 17 March suggested.
According to IANS, his name was finalised and recommended by the Selection Committee comprising of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and eminent jurist Mukul Rohatgi.
Along with Ghose, selection of eight others as members for the panel has also be done and the official announcement is likely to be made next week, CNN News18 reported.
A current member of the National Human Rights Commission, Justice Ghose retired from the Supreme Court in May 2017. Formerly the chief justice of the Calcutta HC and the Andhra Pradesh HC, he was appointed a Supreme Court judge in March 2013.
The Lokpal Act was notified in 2014 to form a panel to look into cases of corruption and maladministration by public servants.
The Lokpal will work with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). It has the powers to ask investigating agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe allegations against public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Supreme Court on Thursday, 7 March had sought to know, within 10 days, the possible date for the Selection Committee's meeting to finalise names for the Lokpal - a three-member, anti-corruption watchdog comprising a chairman, a judicial and non-judicial member would take place.
(With inputs from IANS and CNN News18)
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