Mukul Rohatgi on Lokpal search panel

The Centre on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that former attorney general and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi has been appointed as an eminent jurist in the selection committee for anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal.

Attorney General K K Venugopal told a bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi that a decision was taken on May 11 to appoint Rohatgi as an eminent jurist in the selection committee, which is headed by the prime minister.

Rohatgi was appointed the Attorney General of India after the Narendra Modi government assumed power in May 2014. He resigned from the post in June 2017.

The post of eminent jurist in the Lokpal selection panel was lying vacant since the death of senior advocate P P Rao on September 11, 2017. The committee comprises of the prime minister, the Chief Justice of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, leader of the largest opposition party and an eminent jurist.

The bench posted the matter for hearing on July 2 arising out of a contempt petition filed by NGO Common Cause. The NGO claimed the Union government dragged its feet on appointment of the Lokpal despite the apex court's verdict of April 27 last year.