New Delhi: Notified almost a year after the country’s first Lokpal was constituted with Justice (Retd.) Pinaki Chandra Ghose as its chairperson, the Lokpal Rules, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training on March 2, have stated that complaints of corruption filed against a serving or former prime minister can only be taken up by a full bench.More so, if such a complaint is dismissed at the admission stage, the records of the probe will not be made available to anyone.Two-third members needed to approve full probe against PMThe rules have been specified through a notification under Section 59 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act. The Lokpal (Complaint) Rules, 2020 state among other things that a complaint against the prime minister would at the admission stage be taken up by a full bench headed by the chairperson. A further inquiry would only be initiated if two-thirds of the members approve of it.Similarly, the rules state that a complaint filed against a Union minister or a member of parliament would have to be decided at the admission stage by a bench comprising not less than three members of the Lokpal. They also note that an “illegible”, “vague or ambiguous”, “trivial or frivolous” complaint can be disposed by the Lokpal.Also read: Lokpal Is All Ready to Attack Corruption, but Lacks Teeth to BiteMost of 1,100-odd complaints disposed without probe over last yearThe office of the Lokpal was established in March 2019 after a decade-long struggle by civil rights activists who wanted an ombudsman to oversee the function of the entire executive up to the prime minister and to take up complaints of corruption against such high public functionaries. So far, it has received over 1,100 complaints, most of which have been disposed without any probe.The notification laid down the criteria on how a complaint against a public servant would be dealt with. Section 7 of the rules state that “the complaint filed against a public servant referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 14 of the Act, shall be decided by the full bench referred to in sub-clause (ii) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 14, in the first instance, at the admission stage.”File photo of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose. Image: Bharati Vidyapeeth/FacebookDetailed probe to be ‘in camera’Further, Section 14 (1) (ii) lays down that any further inquiry would be an “in camera proceeding”. Also, it states that if the Lokpal decides that the complaint needed to be dismissed, in that scenario the “records of the inquiry shall not be published or made available to anyone”.On June 7 last year, The Wire had reported how the Lokpal had been constituted but not given any teeth to attack corruption. Now with the rules being put in place, the office of Lokpal can deal with cases. The complaints would go to the chairperson who may send them to the Inquiry Wing for a preliminary enquiry and refer them to an investigating agency like Central Bureau of Investigation for a probe.Also read: Corruption and Politics: Never Forget The Boot Is Often On The Other FootOn complainant if he wants to reveal identity or notThe rules also specify that the identity of the complaint, if he so desires, would be protected till the conclusion of the investigation.At the time of filing a complaint, which may be filed electronically, by post or in person, the complainant would have to provide a valid proof of identity. Foreign nationals can also file complaints under the law and for them the identity document needed would be a passport. The complaints would also have to be accompanied by an affidavit.The law also provides for filing of complaints by a board, body, corporation, company, limited liability partnership, authority, society, association of persons or trusts.