What does the Lokpal cover, and when should I go to the Lokayukta instead?

The Lokpal of India is a statutory body constituted under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. It has jurisdiction over public servants of the Central Government — this includes Group A, B, C and D officers of the Central Government, Members of Parliament, Union Ministers, and the Prime Minister (subject to specific procedural safeguards). Lokpal handles allegations of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against these central public servants. If your complaint involves a state government officer, a state PSU employee, or an employee of a state authority, you must approach the Lokayukta of the relevant state — not the Lokpal. Lokayuktas are established under state laws and are separate bodies with jurisdiction over state-level public servants. RTI applications to a Lokayukta go through the state's RTI portal or offline mode, and the second appeal lies before the respective State Information Commission, not the Central Information Commission (CIC).

What can RTI get from Lokpal, and what is protected from disclosure?

The Lokpal Secretariat is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005, and is bound to disclose information unless a specific exemption applies. Information that is generally disclosable through RTI includes: confirmation that a complaint was received and registered; the procedural stage of a complaint (received, preliminary inquiry, full inquiry, closure) without details of the inquiry's substantive findings; Lokpal's own Regulations framed under the 2013 Act; aggregate statistics on complaints received and disposed; and recommendations made to the competent sanctioning authority in cases where a final order has already been issued (concluded matters). Information that Lokpal will typically withhold includes: the contents of an ongoing inquiry or investigation — under Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act, information whose disclosure would impede the process of investigation or prosecution is exempt; the identity of the complainant in a corruption complaint — this is protected under Section 8(1)(g) to protect the complainant from retaliation; and the preliminary inquiry findings before a final order is made, since premature disclosure could defeat the purpose of the inquiry. The key distinction is between procedural status (generally disclosable) and substantive findings of an ongoing inquiry (generally exempt under S.8(1)(h)).

How do I confirm my Lokpal complaint was actually registered?

When you file a complaint on the Lokpal portal (lokpal.gov.in), the system generates an acknowledgement number. Registration is a separate step — the Lokpal Secretariat reviews whether the complaint is prima facie within its jurisdiction and complies with the required format before formally registering it and assigning a Registration Number. If you have not received a Registration Number or a communication about non-registration, you can: (1) file an RTI with the CPIO, Lokpal of India, on rtionline.gov.in asking specifically whether your complaint (identified by your acknowledgement number and date of filing) has been registered, and if so, the Registration Number and date of registration; or (2) write directly to the Lokpal Secretariat's grievance section. The RTI route provides a legally enforceable response within 30 days and is the most reliable method if the Lokpal portal does not show an updated status.

What is the difference between filing a complaint with the Lokpal and filing one with the CVC?

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Lokpal of India are separate bodies with overlapping but distinct mandates. The CVC is a statutory body that oversees vigilance administration of the Central Government — it primarily supervises the CBI's investigations into Prevention of Corruption Act offences and handles complaints against Central Government employees at the level of Group A and above referred to it by ministries, departmental vigilance officers, or directly by complainants. The CVC does not have the power to prosecute or impose penalties directly; it advises and recommends. The Lokpal, by contrast, is an independent constitutional-type body that has suo motu powers to initiate preliminary inquiries, can direct the CBI to investigate, can make binding recommendations for prosecution to the competent authority under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, and covers a broader range of public servants including MPs, Ministers, and the PM. In practice, if your complaint concerns a public servant not covered by Lokpal's jurisdiction, or if it is a service grievance rather than a corruption allegation, the CVC, departmental vigilance, or a direct complaint to the relevant ministry may be more appropriate. RTI applications to the CVC go to the CPIO at the CVC through rtionline.gov.in; RTI to Lokpal is filed separately under the Lokpal of India on the same portal.

What can I do if the Lokpal does not respond to my RTI application within 30 days?

If the CPIO, Lokpal of India does not provide a response within 30 days of receipt of your RTI application, or if the response is incomplete, evasive, or unsatisfactory, you have two levels of appeal available. First Appeal: File a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, addressed to the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at the Lokpal Secretariat. This must be filed within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA must decide the appeal within 30 days (extendable to 45 days with reasons). Second Appeal: If the FAA does not respond adequately or upholds a refusal you consider unjustified, file a Second Appeal under Section 19(3) with the Central Information Commission (CIC) within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the date it should have been made. The CIC can direct disclosure, impose a penalty of up to ₹25,000 on the CPIO under Section 20 of the RTI Act, and award compensation to the applicant. Since Lokpal is a Central Government body under the Department of Personnel and Training, the CIC (not any State Information Commission) has jurisdiction over second appeals.

Home/Guides/How to File RTI with Lokpal of India — Complaint Status, Inquiry Proceedings and Recommendations

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How to File RTI with Lokpal of India — Complaint Status, Inquiry Proceedings and Recommendations

Step-by-step guide to file an RTI with the Lokpal of India (Ministry of Personnel) for complaint registration status, inquiry proceedings updates, Lokpal recommendations in concluded cases, and aggregate complaint statistics. Covers the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. Includes a ready-to-use sample RTI draft.

Updated 24 May 2026

Quick Facts

MinistryMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

Address RTI ToCPIO, Lokpal of India, New Delhi

Application Fee₹10 under RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. Free for BPL cardholders.

Response Time30 days from receipt (Section 7(1), RTI Act 2005). 48 hours if the matter involves life or liberty.

File Online Athttps://rtionline.gov.in

All information on this page is based on the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act No. 22 of 2005) and the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. First Appeal: Section 19(1). Second Appeal to CIC/SIC: Section 19(3).

The Lokpal of India is a statutory anti-corruption body constituted under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. After years of deliberation, the Act came into force and the first Lokpal was appointed in 2019. The Lokpal's mandate is to receive and inquire into complaints of corruption against public servants of the Central Government — including Group A, B, C and D officers, Members of Parliament, Union Ministers, and the Prime Minister, subject to specific procedural safeguards set out in the Act.

The Lokpal Secretariat, which administers the Lokpal's functions, is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. As a public authority receiving substantial public funding and exercising statutory powers in the public interest, it is obligated to appoint a Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), respond to RTI requests within 30 days, and operate under the transparency framework of the RTI Act. The Lokpal falls under the administrative umbrella of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training).

This guide explains exactly what you can and cannot obtain from Lokpal through RTI, how to file, and how to appeal if your application is ignored or refused.

Lokpal vs. Lokayukta vs. CVC — Which Body Handles What?

Understanding which anti-corruption body has jurisdiction over your complaint is essential before filing an RTI. All three bodies — Lokpal, Lokayukta, and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) — are distinct and operate independently.

Feature	Lokpal of India	State Lokayukta	Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)
Governing law	Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013	State-specific Lokayukta Act	Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003
Jurisdiction	Central Government public servants (Group A/B/C/D, MPs, Ministers, PM)	State government public servants	Central Govt employees (referred vigilance cases; advisory role)
Powers	Inquiry, investigation (via CBI), recommendation for prosecution/penalty	Varies by state; inquiry and recommendation powers	Oversight of CBI; advisory to ministries on vigilance matters
RTI filing portal	rtionline.gov.in → Ministry of Personnel → Lokpal of India	State RTI portal (varies by state)	rtionline.gov.in → Ministry of Personnel → Central Vigilance Commission
Second appeal	CIC (Central Information Commission)	State Information Commission	CIC (Central Information Commission)
Complaint portal	lokpal.gov.in	State Lokayukta website	cvc.gov.in

Key rule of thumb: If your complaint involves a state government officer, state PSU employee, or state body, approach the Lokayukta of that state — the Lokpal does not have jurisdiction. If your complaint involves a Central Government public servant or MP/Minister, the Lokpal is the appropriate body.

What Lokpal Can and Cannot Disclose Through RTI

The RTI Act's exemptions in Section 8 apply to the Lokpal like any other public authority. The most relevant exemption for Lokpal-related RTI applications is Section 8(1)(h) — which protects information that would impede the process of investigation, apprehension, or prosecution of offenders. There is also Section 8(1)(g) — which protects information that would endanger the life or physical safety of any person, or identify the source of information given in confidence for law enforcement.

Information Typically Disclosable Through RTI

Category	What You Can Ask For
Complaint receipt and registration	Whether a complaint was received and registered; the registration number and date of registration
Procedural stage (general)	The broad procedural stage of your complaint (received, preliminary inquiry, full inquiry, closed) — without substantive findings
Concluded matter recommendations	Lokpal's recommendation for prosecution or penalty made to the competent sanctioning authority once a final order has been passed; action taken report by the competent authority under Section 29 of the 2013 Act
Lokpal's own Regulations	Regulations framed by Lokpal under the 2013 Act governing filing, preliminary inquiry procedure, timelines, etc.
Annual reports and aggregate statistics	Total complaints received, registered, disposed/closed, and pending; category-wise data published in Lokpal's annual report
Institutional information	Lokpal's organisational structure, staff strength, budget, and official correspondence policies

Information Typically Withheld

Category	Applicable Exemption
Substantive findings of an ongoing inquiry or investigation	Section 8(1)(h) — disclosure would impede investigation or prosecution
Identity of the complainant	Section 8(1)(g) — to protect the complainant from retaliation; Section 8(1)(j) — personal information with no public interest
Preliminary inquiry report before a final order	Section 8(1)(h) — premature disclosure could compromise the inquiry; also Section 8(1)(e) — information held in fiduciary capacity
Witness statements and evidence received during inquiry	Section 8(1)(h)
Information about third parties (accused) that would harm their reputation before a finding	Section 8(1)(j) — third-party personal information; Section 11 third-party notice procedure applies

The critical distinction: you can know that an inquiry is at a particular procedural stage, but not what the inquiry has found so far or the evidence gathered during it.

Where to File Your RTI

The Lokpal of India is accessible through the national RTI Online portal. Do not attempt to send your RTI application by post to the Lokpal Secretariat without first checking whether they accept offline applications — the RTI Online portal is the primary and recommended channel.

Step-by-step on rtionline.gov.in:

Visit rtionline.gov.in and log in or register with your mobile number or email
Click Submit Request
In the Ministry/Department selector, choose: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
In the next dropdown, select: Lokpal of India
Type your application in the text box (limit: 3,000 characters). If your application is longer, paste a summary and attach the full application as a PDF using the attachment option
Optionally attach supporting documents — your complaint acknowledgement slip, correspondence with the Lokpal Secretariat, or any communication you have received
Pay the ₹10 fee online (net banking, debit/credit card, UPI). BPL cardholders are exempt — select the BPL option and upload a self-attested copy of your BPL ration card
After submission, save your Registration Number — use it at rtionline.gov.in under View Status to track the CPIO's response

You can also file complaints (distinct from RTI applications) directly on the Lokpal's own portal: lokpal.gov.in.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

1. Complaint Registration Status

The first and most practical use of RTI with Lokpal is confirming that your complaint was actually registered. Filing on lokpal.gov.in generates an acknowledgement number, but formal registration (with a distinct Registration Number beginning with "LP/COMP/…") is a separate step after the Lokpal Secretariat screens the complaint.

Ask specifically:

Whether the complaint filed on date with acknowledgement number XXX has been registered
The Registration Number assigned and the date of registration
If not registered, the reason for non-registration and whether a communication was sent to you

2. Procedural Status of Your Complaint

Once your complaint is registered, you can use RTI to track its procedural progress through the system. Frame your question carefully to avoid triggering Section 8(1)(h):

Ask for the procedural stage at which your complaint currently stands — for example, whether it has been placed before the Lokpal Bench for admission; whether a preliminary inquiry under Section 20 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 has been ordered; whether a full investigation has been directed; or whether the complaint has been closed with or without a finding.

Avoid asking for the substance of the inquiry's findings, interim reports, or evidence — these will be validly refused under Section 8(1)(h).

3. Lokpal's Regulations and Procedure

The Lokpal has framed Regulations under the 2013 Act that govern how complaints are handled — the procedure for preliminary inquiry, timelines at each stage, the format of complaints, and the process by which the Lokpal makes recommendations to the competent authority. These Regulations are public documents and should already be available on the Lokpal's website. Through RTI, you can request:

A copy of all Regulations framed by the Lokpal of India under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 currently in force
The standard timeline prescribed for each stage of preliminary inquiry and full investigation under these Regulations
The procedure for a complainant to be heard, if any, during the inquiry process

4. Aggregate Statistics and Annual Report

The Lokpal publishes an annual report containing aggregate data on its functioning. If you need this for research, public interest work, or to benchmark your complaint's processing time against stated norms, you can ask:

Total number of complaints received in the most recent financial year; number registered; number disposed; number pending — broken down by stage if available
Number of cases in which the Lokpal recommended prosecution or imposition of penalty
A copy of the most recent Annual Report of the Lokpal of India

This is aggregate, institutional data with no personal information — it is fully disclosable under the RTI Act.

5. Recommendations and Action Taken in Concluded Matters

For cases where the Lokpal has already passed a final order — meaning the inquiry or investigation is concluded — the RTI Act's Section 8(1)(h) protection no longer applies (there is no ongoing investigation to impede). In concluded matters, you can ask:

Whether the Lokpal has made any recommendation for prosecution of the named public servant or imposition of any penalty under the Prevention of Corruption Act
A copy of the Lokpal's recommendation to the competent sanctioning authority (under Section 29 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013)
The action taken report submitted by the competent authority in response to the Lokpal's recommendation — specifically, whether the sanctioning authority accepted or rejected the recommendation, and if rejected, the reasons given

Note: For third-party information about an accused public servant, the CPIO may invoke Section 11 of the RTI Act and give the public servant an opportunity to be heard before disclosure. This can add up to 40 days to the response time.

Appeals

First Appeal — First Appellate Authority (FAA), Lokpal Secretariat

If the CPIO does not respond within 30 days, or if the response is incomplete, evasive, or wrongly refuses your request, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005 with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at the Lokpal Secretariat.

The First Appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA is required to dispose of the appeal within 30 days, extendable to 45 days with reasons.

You can file the First Appeal on the RTI Online portal itself — log in, go to your application's status page, and use the First Appeal option.

Second Appeal — Central Information Commission (CIC)

If the FAA does not respond, or the FAA's decision is unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal under Section 19(3) of the RTI Act, 2005 with the Central Information Commission (CIC) within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the date on which it should have been made.

The Lokpal is a Central Government body under the Ministry of Personnel — its RTI appeals chain ends at the CIC, not at any State Information Commission. The CIC has authority under Section 20 of the RTI Act to impose a penalty of up to ₹25,000 on the CPIO for failure to comply with the RTI Act's provisions, and may also recommend disciplinary action.

File the Second Appeal on the CIC portal: cic.gov.in. There is no fee for filing a second appeal.

Sample RTI Application Draft

To,
The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO),
Lokpal of India,
Lokpal Bhawan, Plot No. 14, CGO Complex,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — Complaint Registration Status, Procedural Stage, Regulations and Aggregate Statistics

Sir/Madam,

I, [Your Full Name], residing at [Your Complete Address], submit this application under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, and request the following information:

My complaint details (where applicable):
  Complainant Name: [Your Full Name]
  Complaint Registration Number (if received): [e.g., LP/COMP/2025/XXXXX]
  Date of Filing the Complaint: [DD/MM/YYYY]
  Name and Designation of the Public Servant against whom complaint was filed: [Name, Designation, Ministry/Department]
  Brief subject matter of the complaint: [One-line description, e.g., "Alleged corruption in award of contract by Ministry of XYZ"]

Information sought:

1. Whether the complaint described above bearing the above registration number (or filed on the above date) has been duly registered by the Lokpal Secretariat, and if so, the registration number assigned to it and the date of registration.

2. The current procedural status of the above complaint — specifically, whether it is at the stage of: (a) preliminary inquiry under Section 20 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013; (b) full investigation; (c) closure; or (d) any other stage. (Note: I am not seeking any information that would impede the investigation or prosecution under Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act — I seek only the procedural stage at which my complaint currently stands.)

3. A copy of the Regulations framed by the Lokpal of India under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 governing the procedure for: (a) receipt and registration of complaints; (b) conduct of preliminary inquiry; (c) timelines applicable to each stage of inquiry or investigation.

4. The aggregate statistics published or maintained by the Lokpal Secretariat for the most recently completed financial year: (a) total number of complaints received; (b) total number of complaints registered; (c) number of complaints disposed/closed; (d) number of complaints pending at each stage (preliminary inquiry, full investigation, etc.).

5. In respect of concluded cases (cases where a final order or recommendation has been made by the Lokpal): whether the Lokpal has made any recommendation for prosecution, imposition of penalty, or other action to the competent sanctioning authority in the case bearing the above registration number (if concluded); and if yes, a copy of such recommendation and the action taken report submitted by the competent authority under Section 29 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

I am enclosing the application fee of Rs. 10 [via online payment on rtionline.gov.in; Reference No.: [Payment Ref No.]].

I request you to provide the above information within 30 days as required under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Full Name]
[Your Complete Postal Address]
Phone: [Your 10-digit Mobile Number]
Email: [[email protected]]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Replace all text in [square brackets] with your actual details before filing. Do not include the brackets in your submission.

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