Now Reading: SC judge asks CJI to replace Rajasthan HC acting chief for favouritism
-
01
SC judge asks CJI to replace Rajasthan HC acting chief for favouritism
Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta has written three letters to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant seeking the immediate replacement of Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, accusing him of favouritism, maladministration and misuse of office. The letters, dated August 2, 10 and 17, 2026, were reported by livelaw.in, barandbench.com and The Hindu on August 26.
Justice Mehta alleged that Justice Sharma manipulated case listings in favour of wealthy litigants, threatened colleague judges with transfer citing closeness to the CJI, and victimised judicial officers. He cited a complaint that the acting chief held up the inauguration of a new Jodhpur court building for a year on his "whims and caprices." Another complaint alleged Justice Sharma used his position to secure Lok Adalat appointments for persons close to him, including a childhood friend.
Justice Mehta noted the collegium had in March 2023 refused Justice Sharma's repatriation to Rajasthan, yet he was allowed to return in May 2025 and has served as acting chief for over ten months. "Continued ignorance of the request is wholly against the interest of the institution," Justice Mehta wrote. Justice Sharma is due to retire on September 26.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All three sources report the same facts without slant: a serving Supreme Court judge has made detailed allegations against a High Court acting chief, and the CJI has not yet acted. The uniformity of coverage reflects the gravity of a judge publicly questioning another judge's integrity, a rare event. The story now hinges on whether the collegium replaces Justice Sharma before his September 26 retirement or lets him complete his term. That decision will signal how the higher judiciary handles internal accountability.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): livelaw.in (neutral report), barandbench.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
