New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as first Lokpal of the country on Tuesday. President also appointed Justice Dilip B Bhosale, Justice P K Mohanty, Justice Abhilasha Kumari and Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi as judicial members in the anti-corruption ombudsman. Besides, former Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) chief Archana Ramasundaram, ex-Maharashtra Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar Jain, Mahender Singh and Indrajeet Prasad Gautam have been appointed as non-judicial members of Lokpal.

These appointments were recommended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee and approved by President Ram Nath Kovind.

66-year-old retired SC judge, Justice Ghose was already in active consideration for appointment as the chief of country’s first Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman. He retired from the Supreme Court in May 2017 and is a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). His name for the post was understood to be in active consideration by the Lokpal selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Lokpal Act, which envisages establishment of anti-graft body Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013. Opposition parties have been accusing the Modi government of delaying the appointment of Lokpal.