Gujarat Lokayukta case: Hearing over, verdict on 18 January

Ahmedabad, 29 December 2011

Hearing on the dispute over the appointment of a Lokayukta in the State was declared over by the Gujarat High Court on Thursday.

Justice V M Sahai, who was assigned the task of hearing the Lokayukta case following a split verdict by a division bench will deliver verdict in this case on 18 January.

Gujarat governor Kamla, had on August 25, bypassing the Narendra Modi government appointed retired Justice Mehta as the State Lokayukta, a post which was vacant since November 2003.

Aggrieved by this the State government challenged it in the High Court on the same day contending that the Governor’s decision was “unconstitutional and unilateral”.

On October 11, Justice Akil Kureshi heading a division bench had upheld the decision of the Governor in appointment of retired Justice R A Mehta as Lokayukta, while his colleague Justice Sonia Gokani had ordered quashing of warrant of appointment issued by the Governor terming it to be unconstitutional.

Last month Justice Sahai had referred the matter back to the division bench asking it to frame the points of disagreement, based on which he would hear the case.

Justice Akil Qureshi and Justice Sonia Gokani had last week listed their points of disagreement as per their respective verdicts in the case.