The seven-member Lokpal headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar has invited bids to buy seven BMW 3 Series 330Li cars worth Rs.70 lakh each, sparking criticism as the tender mandates delivery within 30 days with no extension allowed.
The Lokpal, which is currently a seven-member body led by former Supreme Court judge Justice A M Khanwilkar, issued a tender for the acquisition of seven BMW 3 Series 330Li cars, drawing scrutiny.
The tender, published on October 16, invites reputable agencies to submit bids for the ‘M Sport’ model with a ‘long wheelbase’ in white. The deadline for bid submissions is November 6, with bidders required to provide earnest money of Rs 10 lakh. Bids will be opened the following day.
According to the tender, the cars must be delivered within “preferably two weeks but not later than 30 days from the date of issuing of the supply order,” and it specifies that “no extension of time will be given.”
The Lokpal currently comprises seven members, one short of its authorized strength of eight. In addition to chairperson Justice Khanwilkar, the members include former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Justice Sanjay Yadav; former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Ritu Raj Awasthi; former judge of Karnataka High Court Justice L Narayana Swamy; former Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra; former Chief Secretary of Gujarat Pankaj Kumar; and former Secretary of the Women and Child Development Ministry Ajay Tikrey.
Justice Khanwilkar and the other members were unavailable for comment regarding the BMW car tender on Tuesday.
Notably, the Chief Justice of India is assigned a Mercedes, while other Supreme Court judges receive BMW 3 Series cars, which coincidentally is the model for which the Lokpal has issued a tender.
Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog and India’s G20 Sherpa, criticized the Lokpal’s tender in a post on X, stating,
“They need to cancel this tender and go for @makeinindia Electric Vehicles – either Mahindra’s XEV 9E, BE 6 or Tata’s Harrier EV. They are top class vehicles.” Advocate Prashant Bhushan also took to X to denounce the tender, remarking that members were “now buying 70L BMW cars for themselves.”
Members of the Opposition have targeted the Lokpal following its announcement to issue a tender for the purchase of seven BMW cars.
The tender released on October 16, stated,
“The Lokpal of India invites open tenders from reputed agencies for the supply of seven BMW 3 Series 330Li cars to the Lokpal of India,”
The tender specifies the ‘M Sport’ model with a ‘long wheelbase’ in white.
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram raised concerns regarding the Lokpal’s choice to purchase BMW cars for its chairperson and members, questioning the necessity of using taxpayer money for such luxury vehicles.
He stated,
“When Honourable judges of the Supreme Court are provided modest sedans, why do the Chairman and six members of the Lokpal require BMW cars? Why spend public money to acquire these cars? I hope that at least one or two members of the Lokpal have refused, or will refuse, to accept these cars.”
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi criticized this decision, highlighting the irony of the situation.
Singhvi remarked on X,
“I chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Lokpal. Dr. L.M. Singhvi first conceived the idea of Lokpal in the early 1960s. To see this anti-corruption body now ordering BMWs for its members is tragic irony, the guardians of integrity chasing luxury over legitimacy,”
In another post, he noted,
“8,703 complaints. Only 24 probes. 6 prosecution sanctions. And now, BMWs worth Rs 70 lakh each. If this is our anti-corruption watchdog, it’s more poodle than panther!”
TMC MP Saket Gokhale also expressed his discontent, stating,
“Lokpal’s luxury. Annual budget of India’s Lokpal is Rs 44.32 crore. Now, Lokpal is purchasing 7 luxury BMW cars at approx Rs 5 crores for all members. This equals 10% of the entire annual budget.”
He further questioned,
“Lokpal is supposedly an anti-corruption body. So who will probe the corrupt Lokpal?”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticized the Lokpal for its tender for the BMW cars, saying,
“Gazab ka Jokepal at Indian taxpayers’ expense. Oh, between what happened to Swadesi call by Gol?”
The anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal has initiated a tender for the procurement of seven luxury BMW cars, totaling around Rs 5 crore.
The Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority in India established to investigate complaints of corruption against public officials, including Ministers, Members of Parliament, and government officers.
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 provides for the establishment of the Lokpal at the Union level and the Lokayuktas at the State level.
These institutions are statutory bodies, meaning they are created by law but do not have constitutional status. Functioning as ombudsmen, they are responsible for inquiring into allegations of corruption and misconduct against public functionaries to ensure transparency, integrity, and accountability in governance.
The institution is designed to function independently from the government, ensuring transparency and accountability in public offices.
The Lokpal is a multi-member body comprising a Chairperson and up to eight members. The Chairperson can be a former Chief Justice of India, a former Supreme Court Judge, or a distinguished individual known for impeccable integrity and exceptional competence, with at least 25 years of expertise in areas such as anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance (including insurance and banking), law, or management.
Among the members, half must be judicial members, and at least 50% of the total strength should be drawn from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities, and women, ensuring diversity and representation within the institution.
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