Interim stay on non-judicial member becoming Chairperson of M’laya Lokayukta challenged
SHILLONG: A Special Leave Petition was filed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the interim stay on non-judicial member becoming the Chairperson of Meghalaya Lokayukta.
Earlier, the High Court of Meghalaya, taking suo-motu action had taken exception to the provision of Meghalaya Lokaykta Act which said that any non-judicial member with sufficient experience can become the Chairperson of Meghalaya Lokayukta.
According to the High Court, a judicial member should head the Meghalaya Lokayukta.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer and Counsel for State Government, Ranjan Mukherjee said that he filed the Special Leave Petition on Tuesday and the matter will be listed after 15 days.
The Division Bench of the High Court of Meghalaya during the hearing on December 14 last had stayed the clause related to an eminent person other than a judicial member becoming the Chairperson of Lokayukta.
However, the matter will come up for hearing on Thursday before the Division Bench of High Court of Meghalaya.
During the last hearing on January 4, the Court closed the right of the State Government to file affidavits on the provisions of Meghalaya Lokayukta Act, 2014, that allows a non-judicial member to head it, after Chief Secretary Barkos Warjri did not file a comprehensive affidavit on the matter even after a direction from the Court on December 17.
The Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh in its order had said, “We have asked the Chief Secretary only to file a comprehensive affidavit which he has not done. Thus, we close the right of state to file affidavit.”
