India’s first anti-corruption ombudsman sworn in

Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose, a retired judge of the Indian Supreme Court, was today sworn in as India's first anti-corruption ombudsman at the national level, nearly six years after a law for this was passed by parliament, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Justice Ghose was administered oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind this morning.

The ombudsman's name was recommended by a selection committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and eminent jurist Mukul Rohatgi, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Justice Ghose retired in May, 2017 and was earlier a member of the National Human Rights Commission.

He was appointed as a judge of the Calcutta High Court in 1997 and elevated to the Supreme Court in 2013. As the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, he had upheld the conviction of Sasikala, a close associate of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jairam Jayalalithaa, in a corruption case. 

The law providing appointment of the ombudsman was passed in 2013 envisaging the setting up of an ombudsman at the national level and in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants like incumbent and former Prime Ministers, incumbent and former ministers and lawmakers.  

On January 17, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Indian government for repeatedly delaying the appointment of the ombudsman and on March 7, a bench headed by Chief Justice Gogoi had asked the government to inform the court within a fortnight by when it would finalize the names