Jharkhand Gets Lokayukta after Five Years

Ranchi: Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar administered the oath of office to former High Court judge Justice Amitabh Kumar Gupta as the state’s new Lokayukta on Tuesday. The appointment ends a five-year vacancy for the constitutional post, which has remained unoccupied since June 2021.

The ceremony took place at the Durbar Hall of Lok Bhavan. Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar initiated the proceedings by reading the appointment warrant, after which the Governor formally inducted Justice Gupta into the role.

The appointment follows a recent Jharkhand High Court directive ordering the state government to fill key constitutional vacancies, including the Lokayukta and positions within the State Human Rights and Information Commissions, within a 10-day window. Governor Gangwar cleared Justice Gupta’s appointment on April 16 in compliance with the court’s order.

Justice Gupta, a graduate of the University of Delhi, began his judicial career in 1997. He served as an Additional Judge of the Jharkhand High Court starting in 2013 and retired from the bench on May 30, 2021.

Attendees at the ceremony included Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Ministers Radha Krishna Kishore and Dipika Pandey Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, and Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra.