Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has been sworn in as a judicial member of the Lokpal of India, with the oath administered by Justice A. M. Khanwilkar, the Chairperson of the Lokpal. Additionally, Shri Pankaj Kumar and Shri Ajay Tirkey took their oaths as members of the Lokpal. The oath ceremony was held at the Lokpal of India office in New Delhi.
These appointments follow the completion of the tenure of two existing Judicial Members, Justice P. K. Mohanty and Justice Abhilasha Kumari, and three Members, Shri D. K. Jain, Smt. Archana Ramasundaram, and Shri Mahender Singh, on March 26, 2024.
Before joining as a Judicial Member of Lokpal of India, Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi served as the Chairperson of the 22nd Law Commission of India and previously as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court.
Shri Pankaj Kumar, a 1986 batch IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, assumed his role as a Member of Lokpal of India after serving as the Chief Secretary of Gujarat.
Shri Ajay Tirkey, a 1987 batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, took on his responsibilities as a Member of Lokpal of India following his tenure as Secretary of the Department of Land Resources, Government of India.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Shri Praveen Kumar Srivastava, the Central Vigilance Commissioner, along with other senior officials from the CBI and ED.
