Ahmedabad, January 18: In a politically significant development, the Gujarat High Court will on Wednesday pronounce its verdict on a petition related to the appointment of the Lokayukta in the state.
The Narendra Modi government had earlier challenged Governor Kamla Beniwal’s appointment of Justice (retired) RA Mehta as state’s Lokayukta, deeming the move unconstitutional and unilateral.
The matter is now before a third Judge VM Sahai, who was assigned the case after a split verdict by a division bench, which heard a petition moved by the Gujarat government challenging the appointment of the Lokayukta by the Governor bypassing the state government.
Mehta was appointed as Lokayukta in August last year by Governor Beniwal. The post was lying vacant since November 2003.
On October 11, the division bench delivered a split verdict. While Justice Kureshi, who headed the bench, upheld the Governor’s action, Justice Gokani held the appointment as unconstitutional.
—–Agencies