PM Modi-led panel clears names for Lokpal chief, vigilance commissioner

Supreme Court judge Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar was elected as the new chairperson of Lokpal, and Aeratu S. Rajeev, managing director (MD) of Bank of Maharashtra, was picked for the post of Vigilance Commissioner (VC) by a committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, officials aware of the details said.

Congress’s floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is a member of the selection panel, gave a short dissent note on Rajeev’s selection, the officials said. Chowdhury had proposed the name of Atanu Das, former MD and chief executive officer (CEO) of Bank of India, for the post of VC.

The Congress leader did not oppose the name of Khanwilkar as his candidature was conveyed to him at the last moment, the officials added.

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The Lokpal is currently headed by justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty, who is the acting chairperson. Of the two VC posts, one is vacant.

Khanwilkar was confirmed as a permanent judge in the Bombay high court in April 2002. He served briefly as the chief justice of Himachal Pradesh high court and was then appointed the chief justice of Madhya Pradesh high court in November 2013. He was elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2016 and served a six-year term until his retirement in July 2022.

Khanwilkar was a part of the majority of the five-judge bench that held that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21, in Common Cause v Union of India (2018), thereby, allowing a patient to refuse medical treatment in cases of terminal illness.

A.S. Rajeev was appointed as the MD and CEO of the Bank of Maharashtra in December 2018. His tenure was to end on December 1, 2023, but he was given an extension until May 31, 2024 in November 2023. Before BoM, he was the executive director of Indian Bank and during this time, he was the director of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).