Jharkhand gets Lokayukta after five years, Guv administers oath to Justice Amitabh Kumar Gupta

Ranchi, April 21 Jharkhand on Tuesday got a new Lokayukta after a gap of nearly five years with former state High Court judge Justice Amitabh Kumar Gupta being administered the oath of office by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar here on Tuesday.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Durbar Hall of the Lok Bhavan in Ranchi. After administering the oath, the Governor congratulated Justice Gupta and wished him a successful and impactful tenure.

At the start of the ceremony, Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar read out the warrant related to the appointment of the Lokayukta. Following this, the Governor’s Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Kulkarni invited the newly appointed Lokayukta to take the oath.

The post of Lokayukta in Jharkhand has been lying vacant since June 2021. The appointment, coming after nearly five years, has raised fresh expectations of greater transparency and accountability in the state’s administration.

Earlier this month, the Jharkhand High Court had directed the state government to expedite the appointment process for constitutional posts, including that of the Lokayukta, State Human Rights Commission, and the State Information Commission, and fill these posts in 10 days, warning of consequences if not done.

In compliance, the Governor finally cleared the appointment of Justice Amitabh Kumar Gupta on April 16.

Born on May 31, 1959, Justice Gupta completed his law degree and postgraduate studies from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. He began his judicial career as an Additional District Judge in the Bihar Superior Judicial Service on June 11, 1997. In 2013, he was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Jharkhand High Court and retired on May 30, 2021.

Several dignitaries attended the oath-taking ceremony in Ranchi, including Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Ministers Radha Krishna Kishore and Dipika Pandey Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, Ranchi Mayor Roshni Khalkho, Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra, and senior administrative and police officials.

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