SC rejects lawyer’s plea for direction to Lokpal selection committee

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected lawyer Prashant Bhushan’s plea for a direction to the Lokpal selection committee to make public the proposed names of the chairperson and members of the anti-corruption panel.

During the hearing, a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, asked the Centre to apprise it within 10 days the probable meeting dates for the selection committee.

The bench, which also comprised Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S Abdul Nazeer, was hearing the submissions by Bhushan seeking appointment of the Lokpal chairperson and other members at the earliest.

The court rejected the lawyer’s plea for a direction to the selection committee to make public the proposed names of the chairperson and the members of the Lokpal to bring about accountability and transparency in the entire appointment process.

Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal, representing the Union of India, submitted that the search committee has forwarded to the selection committee three lists of names – one for the Lokpal and other two for judicial and non-judicial members.

The Prime Minister-led selection committee for the Lokpal chairperson and other members, also comprises the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India or his nominee, and an eminent jurist.

[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]