SC to pronounce verdict on Gujarat Lokayukta appointment

SC to pronounce verdict on Gujarat Lokayukta appointment

The Supreme Court will pronounce

tomorrow its verdict on Gujarat government's plea against the

appointment of retired judge R A Mehta's as state Lokayukta,

done unilaterally by Governor Kamla Beniwal without consulting

the government.

A bench of justices B S Chauhan and F M Ibrahim Kalifulla

is to pass the order on the state's appeal against the order

of the Gujarat High Court which had upheld the governor's

decision last January.

The high court's verdict had been delivered by Justice V M

Sahai after a division bench gave a split judgement on the

legitimacy of the governor's action in Justice Mehta's

appointment as Lokayukta.

Justice Sahai, who decided the matter as a third judge,

had also pulled up Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for

creating a constitutional crisis and held that the governor

had the discretionary power to make the appointment. He had

said the "pranks" played by the chief minister on the

Lokayukta issue "demonstrates deconstruction of our

democracy."

Challenging the high court's order, the state government

had contended that the personal discretion exercised by the

governor in unilaterally issuing the warrant of appointment of

Lokayukta was "unwarranted."

It had also objected to the use of "very harsh expressions

and language" against Modi by the high court and had sought

expunction of those remarks.

The governor had on August 25, 2011 appointed Justice

Mehta to the post as Lokayukta, which had been lying vacant

for the last eight years.