Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice

The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, has recommended Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal of the Chhattisgarh High Court for appointment as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. In a separate resolution, the Collegium recommended the immediate transfer of Justice Agrawal to Rajasthan. This move is intended to allow him to take over administrative leadership more quickly than the standard appointment process for a Chief Justice would allow. The Collegium also recommended Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje for the Madhya Pradesh High Court and Justice Dr. Pushpinder Singh Bhati for the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. Additionally, Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra has been recommended as Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court.

The recommendation for Rajasthan comes amid a significant controversy involving the current Acting Chief Justice, Sanjeev Prakash Sharma. Justice Sandeep Mehta, a judge of the Supreme Court, wrote three letters in August alleging that Justice Sharma engaged in corruption, nepotism, and favoritism. Justice Mehta specifically accused Justice Sharma of misusing his power as master of the roster, favoring influential litigants, and treating judicial officers vindictively. He also cited concerns over the spending of 80 lakh rupees on a conference and the delayed inauguration of the Jodhpur District Court building.

In response to these allegations, Chief Justice Surya Kant stated on August 26 that the concerns would be handled through an institutional mechanism. Meanwhile, lawyers in Jaipur and Jodhpur have protested against Justice Sharma, with the Rajasthan High Court Lawyers Association announcing a strike until September 6. Justice Sharma has opted out of judicial work until September 5, and a modified roster has distributed his cases among other benches.