Ranchi — Ending a prolonged wait, Jharkhand on Tuesday appointed a new Lokayukta, with former High Court judge Justice Amitabh Kumar Gupta formally taking charge of the post.
The oath of office was administered by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at a ceremony held in the Durbar Hall of Lok Bhavan in Ranchi. The Governor congratulated Justice Gupta and expressed confidence in his ability to strengthen accountability in public administration.
The event began with Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar reading out the official appointment warrant. This was followed by an invitation from the Governor’s Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Kulkarni for the oath-taking.
The Lokayukta position had remained vacant since June 2021, leading to concerns over oversight in governance. The appointment, coming after nearly five years, is expected to revive mechanisms aimed at ensuring transparency and addressing corruption-related complaints.
Earlier this month, the Jharkhand High Court had directed the state government to fill key constitutional posts, including the Lokayukta, within 10 days. Acting on this directive, the Governor approved Justice Gupta’s appointment on April 16.
Born on May 31, 1959, Justice Gupta pursued his legal education at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. He began his career as an Additional District Judge in the Bihar Superior Judicial Service in 1997 and was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Jharkhand High Court in 2013, serving until his retirement in May 2021.
Several senior leaders and officials attended the ceremony, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Ministers Radha Krishna Kishore and Dipika Pandey Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, Ranchi Mayor Roshni Khalkho, and Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra, along with other senior administrative and police officials.
With inputs from IANS