Former IRS officer Sanchita Kumar and former Trinamool Congress MP Mriganko Mahato were selected as new members of the State Information Commission by a committee headed by the chief minister.

The Opposition raised questions about the appointments as Sanchita, who had recently retired voluntarily from the service, is the wife of DGP Rajeev Kumar and Mahato was a TMC MP from Purulia.

“Eight applicants were there for two positions. But questions were raised over the appointments as one was the wife of the DGP and the other person was a ruling party MP. People can raise questions whether there was any political influence in the appointments,” said a bureaucrat.

Mamata Banerjee heads the committee that appoints members of the State Information Commission. Cabinet minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay and the leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, are also on the committee.

As Adhikari skipped the meeting, the members were selected by the chief minister and Shobandeb at a meeting at the Assembly on Wednesday.

“Adhikari was absent as he had vowed not to attend any meeting with the chief minister, who is also the home minister, until justice was delivered to the family of the junior doctor who had been raped and murdered at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. So, we think the appointment of the members of the information commission is illegal,” said a BJP MLA.

A TMC MLA said Sanchita was a former bureaucrat and there was no bar on selecting her as a member of the information commission.

The TMC MLA said the former MP had no connection with the party. “This is why he could easily be selected as an eminent member of the commission.”