The Governor has appointed retired High Court judge P. Devadass as the chairperson of the five-member Lokayukta that was notified on Monday.
The notification was issued following the recommendations made by a search committee.
Former district judges K. Jayabalan and R. Krishnamoorthy are the two judicial members and retired IAS officer M. Rajaram and advocate K. Arumugam are the two non-judicial members of the anti-corruption body, according to the notification issued by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department.
“The chairperson and the members shall hold office for five years from the day they enter office or the date on which they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier,” stated the notification.
It was in December last year the State government constituted a search committee for submitting names for the posts of the chairperson and members of the Lokayukta.
Search committee
Retired High Court judge K. Venkataraman was the chairperson of the panel. Former Advocate General R. Krishnamoorthy and retired IPS officer A. Pari were the other members on the search committee. In July last year, the Tamil Nadu government passed the legislation in the Assembly a day before the deadline set by the Supreme Court in this regard.
In November that year, the State government notified the Tamil Nadu Lokayukta Rules, 2018.
Complaints against a public functionary can be submitted to the Registrar or the designated officer in person or by post, but anonymous complaints would not be entertained by the panel.
When the State government invited Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin to participate in the meeting called over constituting the search committee in December last year, he boycotted it, contending that his objections expressed before the passing of the legislation were ignored and the Bill was passed in a hurried manner.
It may be recalled that Mr. Devadass’ judgment in June 2015 during his tenure in the Madras High Court suggesting mediation between a rape convict and the survivor, resulted in a huge furore from across the country.
The judge had then recalled his judgment and eventually cancelled the bail granted to the rape convict.
Later that year, he delivered another judgment in a case observing that women and children were increasingly affected by men’s lust and that rapists do not deserve any sympathy.
