On Tuesday, President of India Draupadi Murmu appointed former Supreme Court Justice AM Khanwilkar as the new chairperson of the Lokpal. The official announcement was made via a press release on the President’s official website, which also detailed the appointment of six other members to the anti-corruption body.
The newly appointed judicial members include Justice Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Justice Sanjay Yadav, and Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi. Additionally, Sushil Chandra, Pankaj Kumar, and Ajay Tirkey have been appointed as other members.
The decision to appoint Justice Khanwilkar as the new Lokpal was reached during a high-level committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, the Lokpal’s mandate includes investigating allegations of corruption against public officials falling under its jurisdiction.
Currently, Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty, former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, is serving as the acting chairperson of the Lokpal.
