Inform within 10 days: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked Attorney General K K Venugopal to inform it within 10 days about a possible date for meeting of the selection committee for appointment of Lokpal and its members.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was informed by Venugopal that the search committee headed by former apex court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai has recommended three panels of names to the selection committee for appointment of chairperson, judicial and non-judicial members.
The AG told the bench, also comprising Justices S A Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, that he will ask the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training to ensure that the meeting of the prime minister-headed selection committee is convened as early as possible. The top court also refused to pass directions to disclose names in the three panels. It had earlier requested the search committee on Lokpal to recommend by February end a panel of names for appointing the country’s first anti-graft ombudsman.
The top court had asked the Centre to make available requisite infrastructure, manpower, secretarial assistance and others to enable the committee, headed by Desai, to commence its work immediately and conclude it within the time frame.
The search committee will forward the names to the selection committee comprising the PM, the Chief Justice of India or his nominee, the Lok Sabha Speaker, the leader of the largest opposition party and an eminent jurist. On January 4, the apex court had directed the Centre to place on affidavit the steps for Lokpal’s appointment and had expressed its displeasure over the tardy progress made in this regard. (PTI)