Ending almost a two-year-long tussle between the Raj Bhawan and State Government over appointment of Omdurman Justice (Retd) Sanjay Mishra was sworn in as the new lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh.
Governor Ram Naik administered the oath of office and secrecy to Justice Mishra at a simple ceremony held here at the Raj Bhawan here on Sunday.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court DY Chandrachud and several other dignitaries including ministers were present in the Raj Bhawan during the oath ceremony.
Former SP leader Amar Singh was also present and Urban Development minister Md Azam Khan, considered to be a bete noir of the expelled SP leader, was absent during the function.
The appointment of Justice Mishra as lokayukta has ended nearly two year long controversy over appointment of new Ombudsman.
Justice Mishra will take over from the present lokayukta Justice N K Mehrotra, whose tenure ended in March 2014 and was continuing till the appointment of the lokayukta.
Justice Mishra was appointed by the Supreme Court on January 28 last after withdrawing its earlier order to appoint Justice Virendra Singh on the post on December 16, 2015.
Talking to media after taking the oath Justice Mishra said that his priority would be to strengthen the Constitutional institution through transparent way.
The issue of appointment of the new lokayukta in Uttar Pradesh had turned into a major controversy as three constitutional bodies Raj Bhawan, state government and the High Court were at loggerheads and their differences over certain names also came in public.
The Raj Bhawan had earlier rejected thrice the name of Justice Ravindra Singh sent by the state government for the lokayukta post. Governor had rejected this name following objections raised by Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court.
Finally, the apex court had to intervene and its selection of lokayukya was also marred by controversy. When Supreme Court on December 16had picked up Justice Virendra Singh’s names, Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court DY Chandrachud had written a letter to Governor Ram Naik raising his objection over selection. He had reportedly claimed that Justice Virendra Singh’s name was spiked down earlier because “he had a matrimonial relation with senior Samajwadi Party leaders Shivpal Singh Yadav.”
However, Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is younger brother of Mulayam Singh Yadav, had denied having any relation with Virendra Singh, the lokayukta in waiting.
The swearing-in of Virendra Singh was deferred after his appointment was challenged in the SC before which the State Government gave an undertaking to keep it in abeyance till the matter is decided.
The court heared a petition filed by Sachidanad Gupta alleging that the state government has played a “fraud upon the apex court” by hiding the fact that the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice had expressed his reservations to the name of Justice Virendra Singh.
The Court finally approved Justice Mishra’s name on January 28.