Supreme Court Judge Seeks Removal of Rajasthan HC Acting Chief Justice (Img: X)
New Delhi: A major controversy has emerged in the judiciary after Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta urged Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to appoint a Chief Justice from another state to head the Rajasthan High Court, alleging administrative irregularities and misuse of powers by the court’s acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.
In letters sent to the CJI, Justice Mehta accused Justice Sharma of alleged “maladministration”, “favouritism”, “nepotism” and misuse of his authority as master of the roster. He requested immediate intervention and said a new Chief Justice should be appointed to ensure the proper functioning of the Rajasthan High Court.
Justice Mehta, in letters dated August 2, 10 and 17, alleged that several cases were transferred from other benches to Justice Sharma’s court without sufficient justification.
He claimed that some matters were selectively listed before the acting Chief Justice’s bench and alleged that such actions raised questions about the administration of justice. The Supreme Court judge stated that he had earlier brought similar concerns to the CJI’s attention and requested corrective measures.
Justice Mehta cited certain cases involving valuable land disputes in Udaipur and matters related to influential individuals as examples of what he described as irregularities in case allocation.
He alleged that some cases were moved to benches headed by Justice Sharma despite earlier judicial observations regarding their appropriate jurisdiction.
Justice Mehta also raised concerns over the listing of a special appeal matter involving a mining businessman, alleging that procedural issues were overlooked while granting relief. The allegations, however, are claims made by Justice Mehta, and no findings of wrongdoing have been established against Justice Sharma.
The Supreme Court judge also raised concerns about the functioning of the Rajasthan High Court administration, including issues related to judicial infrastructure, conferences and internal management decisions.
He alleged that certain administrative decisions affected the functioning of courts and judges, particularly at the Jodhpur principal seat of the Rajasthan High Court.
Justice Mehta also claimed that several judges had expressed concerns about Justice Sharma’s conduct and administrative approach.
Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma has been serving as the acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court for over 10 months.
Justice Mehta has repeatedly requested that the Supreme Court collegium appoint a Chief Justice from another high court and consider transferring Justice Sharma out of Rajasthan.
