Former Supreme Court judge A M Khanwilkar was appointed as the chairperson of the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal on Tuesday, marking the culmination of a nearly two-year vacancy in the position.

The Lokpal has been functioning without its regular chief since Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose completed his term on May 27, 2022.

Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty, serving as a judicial member of the Lokpal, is presently assuming the role of acting chairperson. In accordance with a communication released by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar as the new chairperson of the Lokpal.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Khanwilkar, who concluded his tenure in July 2022, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Lokpal. The announcement also includes the appointment of retired Justices Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Sanjay Yadav, and Ritu Raj Awasthi as judicial members of the anti-corruption ombudsman.

Sushil Chandra, Pankaj Kumar, and Ajay Tirkey are designated as non-judicial members, as indicated in the communique. Their assumption of office will mark the commencement of their respective appointments, as highlighted in the statement.

The appointment process for the chairperson and members of the Lokpal involves the President selecting them based on recommendations from a Selection Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister. As per the structure, besides the chairperson, the Lokpal can accommodate up to eight members, comprising four judicial and an equal number of non-judicial members.

Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar served as a judge of the Supreme Court from May 13, 2016, until his retirement on July 29, 2022.

During his tenure as a Supreme Court judge from May 13, 2016, to July 29, 2022, Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar played a pivotal role in several landmark judgments. Notably, he was involved in significant cases such as the Sabarimala women's entry, the decriminalization of homosexuality, and the validation of Aadhaar. Additionally, Justice Khanwilkar led the bench that upheld the exoneration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.

Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar had an illustrious judicial career. He served as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the Himachal Pradesh High Court, as well as a judge of the Bombay High Court. Additionally, he was part of the five-judge bench in the Common Cause v Union of India (2018) case, which affirmed that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.