Will Justice RA Mehta take over MB Shah panel probe?
Critics have alleged that Narendra Modi appointed Shah Commission to escape corruption charges.
Now that Gujarat high court has upheld the appointment of Justice RA Mehta as the Lok Ayukta, it will be interesting to see if Mehta, after taking oath, will look into the allegations against the Narendra Modi government which are already being inquired by Justice MB Shah Commission.
The Shah commission was constituted after the government came under pressure to investigate the 17 charges of favouritism shown towards certain industrial houses in the state.
Critics of Modi government have already alleged that Modi appointed the Shah Commission to escape from the corruption charges levelled by the Congress and that it is possible that the Lok Ayukta will make an inquiry into these charges.
Senior counsel Girish Patel and counsel Mukul Sinha demanded that the allegations which are being probed by the Shah Commission should now be probed by Lok Ayukta Justice RA Mehta. The counsels were speaking after Justice VM Sahai issued his verdict validating the appointment of Mehta as the Lok Ayukta. Earlier, former Lok Ayukta justice SM Soni had opined that the Lokayukta cannot inquire into charges which are already under ambit of the Commissions of Inquiry Act.