Ex-JK High Court judge to take over as JK anti-graft body head

Former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Justice (retd) Bashir Ahmad Khan, will be sworn in as the chairman of State Accountability Commission (SAC)-- the state's anti-graft body -- on Thursday, official sources said here.
The commission is non-functional since August 20 last year after its Chairperson Justice (retd) Y P Nargotra and one of the two members Justice (retired) Imtiyaz Hussain completed their terms in office.
The revival of the SAC was part of ruling coalition government's "agenda of alliance".
The SAC is mandated to inquire into complaints of corruption against chief minister or any minister, any Member of State Legislature, chairman or vice-chairman or a member of a local authority, vice-chancellor or registrar of University established or deemed to have been established by law made by the state legislature.

"Justice (retd) Khan will be sworn in as the new chairman of the SAC by Governor N N Vohra on Thursday," a source said.
They said Khan's name was cleared by the Governor on September 23 after a high-powered selection panel, headed by Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, recommended it for the coveted position.

Former High Court judges, Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani and Justice J P Singh were also cleared as members of the anti-graft body.
The selection panel comprised Speaker of Legislative Assembly Kavinder Gupta, Chief Justice of J-K High Court N Paul Vasanthakumar, leader of largest opposition party in the state and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Syed Basharat Bukhari.

Justice (retd) Khan has served as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. He originally hails from Baramulla in north Kashmir.
Khan first became the Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in November 1990. He was the transferred as the Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in October 1997 from where he was shifted to the Delhi high Court in January 2000.