Lokpal appointment: SC to hear matter after 4 weeks

The Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal on Tuesday submitted to the Supreme Court that the selection committee had met on April 10 over the appointment of Lokpal issue.

The apex court said it would hear the matter after four weeks.

On February 23, the Centre told the apex court that the process for appointing the anti-graft Lokpal is ongoing.

The court had also asked the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training to file an affidavit about the "steps taken and proposed".

Since then, AG Venugopal has been briefing the Centre in regards to the meeting of the selection committee.

The bench was hearing a contempt petition filed by the NGO Common Cause, which had raised the issue of the non-appointment of a Lokpal despite an apex court order on April 27 last year.

Last year, the apex court had said there was no justification to keep the enforcement of Lokpal Act suspended till the proposed amendments was cleared by Parliament.

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas ate governing bodies at the central and state-level respectively, appointed to check corruption by all public servants including the Prime Minister.

Under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013, the high-level selection committee for appointments to Lokpal comprises the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of Opposition (LoP), the Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist chosen by them.