Justice PC Ghose takes oath as India's first Lokpal

New Delhi, Mar 23: Former Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose on Saturday took oath as the chief of country's first Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman. His appointment was cleared by President Ram Nath Kovind earlier this week.

Justice Ghose, who retired from the Supreme Court in May 2017, was a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The appointment of Justice Ghosh along with other eight members was cleared on Tuesday.

Other members of the Lokpal are Justice (retd.) Dilip B. Bhosale, Justice (retd.) P.K. Mohanty, Justice (retd.) Abhilasha Kumari and Justice (retd.) A.K. Tripathi.

The appointment came through five years after the Lokpal Act was notified for effecting a panel of ombudsmen to look into cases of corruption and maladministration by public servants.

Reports say that his appointment was opposed by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and had even boycotted the selection panel's meet on Friday.

Opposition parties had been accusing the Modi government of delaying the appointment of Lokpal.

Who is Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose?

Born 28 May 1952, Pinaki Chandra Ghose is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. He enrolled at the Bar in 1976.

Prior to his elevation to the Supreme Court, he had served as Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, and before that, as a Justice of the Calcutta High Court. He is presently a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).