Rajasthan High Court acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma has rejected allegations of corruption, favouritism and administrative misconduct levelled against him by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta.
In his first public response to the controversy, Justice Sharma described the allegations as “baseless” and said they were made out of “animosity”. He said he had already submitted a detailed response, along with supporting evidence, to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
Justice Sharma said recent developments in the media and social media had prompted him to issue a clarification. He maintained that he had denied the allegations with evidence and described the accusations as unfounded and without factual basis.
The controversy began after Justice Mehta wrote three letters to the CJI, dated August 2, 10 and 17. In the letters, he sought the appointment of a chief justice from another high court to head the Rajasthan High Court and requested that Justice Sharma be transferred out of Rajasthan.
Justice Mehta had accused Justice Sharma of maladministration, corruption, nepotism and favouritism. He also alleged that Justice Sharma, while exercising his powers as master of the roster, had selectively moved cases to his own bench. Justice Mehta further claimed that certain “rich and influential” litigants had received favourable treatment.
The Supreme Court judge also raised questions over various administrative decisions at the Rajasthan High Court, including the functioning of its principal seat in Jodhpur and a three-day conference held in Jaipur.
Justice Sharma, however, has urged the media, members of the Bar and others to maintain restraint until the matter is considered by the CJI. He said he has full faith in the Indian judicial system.
The acting chief justice also said he was ready to present his side publicly at the appropriate time, but would do so only after receiving permission from the CJI.
The dispute comes at a time when the Rajasthan High Court does not have a permanent chief justice. Justice Sharma has been serving as acting chief justice amid growing demands from lawyers in Jaipur and Jodhpur for the appointment of a regular chief justice.
On September 1, the Supreme Court collegium recommended Chhattisgarh High Court judge Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal for the post of Rajasthan High Court chief justice.
The controversy has also drawn attention from CJI Surya Kant, who recently said that allegations against a sitting judge cannot automatically be treated as established findings. He stressed that the allegations must be examined through the appropriate institutional process and that the concerned judge must receive a fair opportunity to respond.
Justice Sharma has opted out of judicial work until September 5 as the controversy continues.
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