Notice to Goa Govt on Lokayukta appointment
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 15 April 2013 18:46 IST
A Division Bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa has issued notice to Goa government to seek clarification regarding procedure followed to appoint Justice Sudarshan Reddy as Goa’s first Lokayukta.
Social activist Aires Rodrigues has challenged the appointment of Justice Reddy, stating that no proper procedure has been followed by the government.
The division bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising Justice A.P. Lawande and Justice U.V. Bakre today directed that notice be issued to the Goa Government on the petition.
The government needs to file its reply within two weeks.
In his petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of the India, Aires has submitted that the selection process and appointment of Goa Lokayukta was not in accordance with law.
He has also sought that the order dated 3 March appointing Justice Reddy be quashed and set aside.
Pending hearing and final disposal of his petition, he has also prayed that Justice Reddy be restrained from functioning or acting as the Goa Lokayukta.
Besides the State of Goa, Aires has also made the Lokayukta, Bombay High Court Chief Justice, Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition parties to the petition, in addition to the three members of the search committee Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni, Chief Secretary B. Vijayan and Law Secretary Pramod Kamat.
