Former Supreme Court Justice A M Khanwilkar has been appointed as the chairperson of the anti-corruption watchdog Lokpal, nearly two years after the position remained vacant. The Lokpal has been functioning without a regular chief since Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose completed his term on May 27, 2022. Currently, Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty, a judicial member of the Lokpal, is serving as the acting chairperson.
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar as the Lokpal chairperson, as per a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Justice Khanwilkar retired from the Supreme Court in July 2022.
Additionally, retired justices Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Sanjay Yadav, and Ritu Raj Awasthi have been appointed as judicial members of the Lokpal, while Sushil Chandra, Pankaj Kumar, and Ajay Tirkey will serve as non-judicial members.
These appointments will become effective upon assuming their respective offices.
The Lokpal chairperson and members are appointed by the President based on the recommendations of a Selection Committee chaired by the Prime Minister.
Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar served as a Supreme Court judge from May 13, 2016, to July 29, 2022. He played a crucial role in various landmark judgments, including those on Sabarimala women’s entry, decriminalization of homosexuality, and the validity of Aadhaar. He led the bench that upheld the exoneration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots case. Furthermore, he was part of the bench that ruled that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21 in the Common Cause v Union of India (2018) case.
Before his tenure at the Supreme Court, Justice Khanwilkar served as the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh High Courts, as well as a judge of the Bombay High Court.
