Justice AM Khanwilkar, a former Supreme Court judge, was chosen by the Indian President to serve as the Lok Pal’s chair. Judges Lingappa Swamy (former Chief Justice of the HP High Court and Judge of the Karnataka High Court), Sanjay Yadav (former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court), and Ritu Raj Awasthi (former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court and Judge of the Allahabad High Court, current Chairperson of the Law Commission of India) comprise the judicial members.
Sushil Chandra (the former CEC), Pankaj Kumar, and Ajay Tirkey are the former civil officers nominated as non-judicial members of the Lokpal. The Lokpal has the authority to investigate claims of corruption made against public servants in the central government, including the prime minister, cabinet ministers, members of parliament, Group A officials, and anything pertaining to their connections.
In 2013, the Lok Pal and Lok Ayuktas Act was enacted. In accordance with Section 4 of the Act, the President will appoint the Chairperson and Members following receipt of the recommendations from a Selection Committee made up of
(a) the Prime Minister—Chairperson;
(b) the Speaker of the House of People—Member;
(c) the Leader of Opposition in the House of People—Member;
(d) the Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court nominated by him—
(e) one eminent jurist, as recommended by the Chairperson and Members referred to in clauses (a) to (d) above, to be nominated by the President—Member
Judge Khanwilkar served on the Supreme Court from May 13, 2016, till July 29, 2022. He served as a judge on the Bombay High Court as well as the Chief Justice of the High Courts in Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court. Judge Khanwilkar participated in a number of Supreme Court decisions pertaining to the Constitution, including those that decriminalized homosexuality, allowed women to enter Sabarimala, upheld the validity of Aadhaar, etc. Additionally, he chaired the bench that affirmed Narendra Modi’s exoneration.
