Disregarding strong protests lodged by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj who called on the President last week, Pranab Mukherjee is understood to have signed the file appointing P P Rao as member of the Lokpal Selection Panel.

A formal notification appointing Rao will be issued shortly, a highly placed source in the government disclosed today.

Sixty-seven lawyers of the Supreme Court have made a representation to President Pranab Mukherjee asking for reconsideration of P P Rao's appointment as an "eminent jurist' in the panel.