SC denies PILs on Lokpal panel

The Supreme Court today refused to go into a batch of PILs challenging constitutional validity of the notification on the composition of a committee to draft the Jan Lokpal Bill, saying the petitions were "premature".

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to go into a batch of PILs challenging constitutional validity of the notification on the composition of a committee to draft the Jan Lokpal Bill, saying the petitions were "premature".

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A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia posted the matter for hearing in July. The bench said, "The petitions are premature and can't be taken as the Lokpal Bill was yet to be passed." "It is still not the law," the bench, also comprising justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar said.

The bench dealt with the three petitions separately and passed identical orders for hearing them in July.

While dealing with one of the petitions, the bench said, "Some of the averments in the petition are untenable in law."

The petitioners including some public-spirited individuals and advocates had challenged the notification issued by the government relating to the constitution of the committee for drafting of the Lokpal Bill. "We will go strictly by the law," the bench said while adjourning the matter.