Supreme Court defers swearing-in of UP Lokayukta; takes up plea against appointment

Lucknow: The swearing-in of former high court judge Virendra Singh as Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta was deferred on Saturday after his controversial appointment was challenged in Supreme Court before which the state government gave an undertaking to keep it in abeyance till the matter is decided.

In an extraordinary hearing on a holiday, a bench comprising justices AK Goel and UU Lalit raised some pointed question as to how the name of Justice Virendra Singh was placed before its bench when the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court had specifically made some objections.

When the bench said that there has been no statement by the government denying the stated position of the chief justice who had written a letter to the Governor and reported in the media, UP's additional advocate general Gaurav Bhatia gave an undertaking on behalf of the government that there will be no oath taking ceremony on Sunday.

The court was hearing a petition filed by UP resident Sachidanad Gupta alleging that the state government has played a "fraud upon the apex court" by hiding the fact that the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice had expressed his reservations to the name of Justice Virendra Singh.