Supreme Court judge seeks removal of Rajasthan High Court acting CJ

Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta has written three letters to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant alleging that Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma misused his office, manipulated case listings and threatened colleagues. Justice Mehta has sought the immediate appointment of a chief justice from another high court, saying Justice Sharma's conduct raised "doubts on his integrity" and reflected a "totally anti-institutional approach."

Justice Mehta’s letters, dated August 2, 10 and 17, cite complaints from fellow judges and an advocate. One instance involves a batch of appeals over land in Udaipur listed before Justice Sharma’s own bench despite a prior judgment barring such listing. Another complaint alleges he used his position to secure Lok Adalat appointments for people close to him, including a childhood friend and spouses of district judges. A serving Rajasthan High Court judge is said to have complained of vindictive conduct by Justice Sharma towards his wife, a senior district judiciary officer. Justice Mehta also flagged that Justice Sharma has held the acting chief justice post for more than ten months despite the collegium having earlier declined his repatriation to the Rajasthan High Court in March 2023. The collegium permitted his return in May 2025, and he became acting chief justice. Justice Mehta has urged the collegium to transfer Justice Sharma out of Rajasthan immediately.