Bring the higher judiciary under Lokpal: Team Anna

Charging the government with misleading the people on the issue of dealing with corruption in higher judiciary through the judges bill, Team Anna today reverted back to its original demand of brining the judiciary under the ambit of Lokpal.

Associates of activist Anna Hazare said that they had withdrawn their demand for brining the higher judiciary under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal institution after they were assured that investigation into corruption and prosecution of senior judges will be dealt with separately by the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill.

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan said while the bill, introduced last year in Lok Sabha, does not deal with investigation into corruption and prosecution of Supreme Court and high court judges, they had hoped either the government or some retired judges would submit before the Parliamentary Standing Committee scrutinising the bill to recommend including the point.

"But unfortunately no one placed this view...the country was misled...    We revert back to our original position that the judiciary must remain within the investigative ambit of the Lokpal," he said.

Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan dubbed the bill as a "great fraud" on the nation.

Members of Team Anna also questioned the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel which scrutinised the Bill saying one of its recommendations has compromised the independence of the judiciary.