ustice Ritu Raj Awasthi Sworn in as Judicial Member of Lokpal, Alongside Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Tirkey

New Delhi: In a significant development, Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has been sworn in as a judicial member of the Lokpal, India’s apex anti-corruption ombudsman. The oath ceremony, held at the Lokpal of India office in New Delhi, saw Justice A. M. Khanwilkar, Chairperson of Lokpal, administering the oath to the newly appointed members.

Joining Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi are Pankaj Kumar and Ajay Tirkey, who were also sworn in as members of Lokpal during the ceremony. Kumar, a seasoned bureaucrat of the 1986 IAS batch from the Gujarat cadre, previously served as the Chief Secretary of Gujarat before assuming his new role. Meanwhile, Ajay Tirkey, an esteemed member of the 1987 IAS batch from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, was serving as the Secretary of the Department of Land Resources in the Government of India prior to his appointment as a member of Lokpal.

These appointments come at a crucial juncture as two existing judicial members and three members of Lokpal have completed their tenure on March 26, 2024. Among them were Justice P. K. Mohanty, Justice Abhilasha Kumari, D. K. Jain, Smt. Archana Ramasundaram, and Mahender Singh.

Prior to his appointment as a judicial member of Lokpal, Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi held the esteemed position of Chairperson of the 22nd Law Commission of India. Before his tenure with the Law Commission, Justice Awasthi served as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, bringing a wealth of legal expertise and experience to his new role in Lokpal.