New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to spell out the time frame within which it would appoint the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal in the country.
A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R. Banumathi asked attorney-general K.K. Venugopal not to drag and file an affidvit in 10 days giving details about the steps taken and the time frame for Lokpal appointment.
Mr Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, informed the bench about the appointment of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi as eminent jurist in the selection committee for appointment of the Lokpal.
He said senior advocate P. P. Rao was appointed as an eminent jurist in the panel, but the post became vacant after he passed away last year. He said the selection committee would have to set up a ‘search committee’ to select Lokpal and other members. “I have received instructions to state that the selection committee headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be meeting soon this regard,” the A-G said.
The Bench hearing a contempt petition filed by Common Cause through advocate Prashant Bhushan for not implementing the April 2017 verdict of the court in appointing Lokpal, asked the A-G to expedite the process of appointment and posted the matter for further hearing on July 17.
In April 2017, the apex court acting on a writ petition filed by Common Cause asked the Centre to set up the Lokpal under the 2013 law without waiting for Parliament approval of the standing committee’s suggestion for amending it to include leader of single largest party in the place of leader of the Opposition to be part of the search committee.
SC gives more time for Kudankulam
The Supreme Court on Monday junked the plea to shut down the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu till the safety regulations are complied with as per the court directions in May 2013.
A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud extended the time limit till April 2022 for complying with the conditions.
The court took note of the status report filed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd which said the plant was safe and there was no cause for concern.
Notice to UP on encounters
The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Uttar Pradesh government in two weeks on a PIL filed by People’s Union for Civil Liberties through its Secretary Dr. V. Suresh for a CBI probe into hundreds of encounters ever since Yogi Adithyanath, became the Chief Minister.
The PUCL brought to the notice of the court incidents of massive administrative liquidation taking place in the State in blatant violation of Rule of Law, legal and constitutional protection available to the citizens, in particular, regarding life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The PUCL said over 1,100 encounters have taken place in the past year, wherein 49 people were killed and 370 were injured.
The petitioner said since the law enforcement machinery has endorsed the acts of police encounters, no fair probe could be expected from them.
Deadline for NRC draft extended
The Supreme Court on Monday extended the deadline for publication of National Register of Citizens by one month from June 30 to July 30, after the Centre and the state NRC coordinator agreed to publish it within the new time limit. The bench, after examining the plea of NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela, agreed to extend the deadline.
The final NRC will count only those as Indian citizens who can prove their residency in India on or before March 21, 1971. Assam, which has faced an influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC.
