The Role Of Lokpal And Lokayukta In Combating Elite Deviance In India
- IJLLR Journal
- 1 hour ago
- 1 min read
Yuvaraj D, LL.M., The Tamilnadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University
ABSTRACT
Corruption operates as a severe systemic impediment to democratic governance, economic equity, and the rule of law in India. While traditional criminal jurisprudence effectively addresses conventional street offenses, the Indian state struggles profoundly with "elite deviance"—the sophisticated, large-scale malfeasance perpetrated by individuals occupying the highest echelons of political and bureaucratic power. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, emerged as a landmark statutory intervention designed to institutionalize accountability and bypass compromised executive investigative agencies. However, the legislation's operational reality frequently betrays its transformative promise. This research paper critically evaluates the statutory framework of the Lokpal and state-level Lokayuktas, arguing that structural limitations, political interference, and an overarching reliance on criminal conviction models have rendered these anti-corruption ombudsmen largely symbolic. By analyzing seminal Supreme Court jurisprudence, empirical performance data from the Karnataka Lokayukta, and the procedural loopholes within the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, this paper exposes the systemic lacunae shielding unscrupulous elites. The study advocates for an urgent paradigm shift from purely punitive mechanisms to comprehensive, prophylactic administrative reforms, demanding absolute institutional autonomy for the Lokpal to function as a genuine pillar of democratic accountability.
Keywords: Elite Deviance, Lokpal and Lokayuktas, Institutional Accountability, Anti-Corruption Reforms.
