Lok Pal, other panel members to be named shortly

The eight-member search committee for recommending names for chairman and eight other members of the Lok Pal is likely to submit recommendations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in what is seen as a move to make the announcements before the electoral process kicks in.

The committee, headed by Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai, has been meeting in the last few days and some members also met informally on Thursday.

A panel of five names for the chairman's post and three each for eight members' position are to be sent to the prime minister, source said.

Other members of the committee include former SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, Prasar Bharati Chairperson A Surya Prakash and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) head A S Kiran Kumar.

Justice Sakha Ram Singh Yadav, former judge of Allahabad High Court, Shabbirhusein S Khandwawala, former Gujarat Police head, Lalit K Panwar, retired IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, and former Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar are the other members of the panel.

As per the Lok Pal Act, the chairman should be the chief justice of India or a retired CJI or an eminent person. Of the eight other members, four should be serving or retired Supreme Court or High Cour Chief Justice.

The other four non-judicial members should be people having knowledge of administration, law and tax laws and financial matters, and at least 25-year experience in these fields.

--IANS

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