HC indicates Karnataka Lokayukta appointment under active consideration

The Karnataka High Court has indicated that the process of appointment of the Lokayukta was under active consideration of the state government.

The Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, who is part of the panel along with the Chief Minister, Speaker of the Assembly, Chairman of the Legislative Council and the leaders of the opposition in both the Houses which appoints the Lokayukta, gave the indication while hearing a PIL on Tuesday seeking the appointment at the earliest.

The petition, filed by advocate Umapathi S seeking direction to the State to appoint the Lokayukta at the earliest, pointed out that the post has been vacant since January 2022.

The division bench of the High Court headed by the Chief Justice posted the matter for hearing again after 10 days. The court said that since the matter was under consideration, the PIL may be disposed of. But the petitioner-advocate requested for keeping it pending till the appointment was made citing earlier alleged instances where the court order was not followed by the government.

The petition said: “due to non-appointment of Lokayukta, the complaints and grievances are pending for disposal for several years and fresh complaints and grievances keep on accumulating to the pending list of grievances and complaints.”