PIL filed in Delhi HC for direction to AAP govt to appoint Lokayukta

PTI, Feb 20, 2022, 2:06 PM IST

Apublic interest litigation has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the AAP government here to appoint within one month a Lokayukta as promised by it in its election manifesto of 2020. Petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a lawyer, has stated that the political party came into existence after the historic anti-corruption movement but the post of Lokayukta has been lying vacant since December 2020. The petitioner has alleged that the Delhi government is not taking steps to weed out the menace of bribery, black money, benami property, tax evasion, profiteering and other economic as well as white-collar offences and therefore, being the protector of fundamental rights, the court has to intervene in the matter of the appointment of a Lokayukta.

”When Justice Reva Khetrapal retired as Delhi Lokayukta, the Government did nothing to fill the post till date and hundreds of complaints relating to corruption are pending in the office,” the petition has stated.

“The AAP was formed after the historic Anti-Corruption Movement but the same party is not appointing the Lokayukta which confirms State’s poor performance on many fronts,” the plea submitted. “The AAP promised a stringent and effective Jan Lokpal Bill in 2015 and 2020 election manifesto but rather enacting the Law, it is not even appointing the Lokayukta under outdated ineffective 1995 Act and hundreds of serious complaints relating to corruption against MLAs are pending in Lokayukta Office,” the petition has submitted. The matter is likely to be heard by the high court this week.