The affidavit dated July 23 was filed in response to the court’s earlier direction to inform it about the outcome of the meeting of the Lokpal selection committee on July 19. (Express Photo/File)
The Supreme Court Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over the Centre’s affidavit in the Lokpal appointment matter and asked it to file a fresh one within four weeks.
“Having perused the affidavit, all that we are inclined to record at this stage is that we find the said affidavit to be wholly unsatisfactory. We, therefore, do not accept the same and direct the concerned authority to file a better affidavit giving full particulars within a period of four weeks from today,” a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and R Banumathi ordered. The affidavit dated July 23 was filed in response to the court’s earlier direction to inform it about the outcome of the meeting of the Lokpal selection committee on July 19.
Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and eminent jurist Mukul Rohatgi had attended the meeting of the committee, which is headed by PM Narendra Modi. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who was a special invitee, did not attend. However, the panel decided to go ahead with the nomination of members for the screening committee.
Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General K K Venugopal told the Bench that the panel had met but names for the search committee were not finalised.