Supreme Court Collegium Proposes Justice Sanjay K Agrawal as New Chief Justice for Rajasthan High Court

The Supreme Court collegium has put forth a recommendation for the appointment of Justice Sanjay K Agrawal as the new chief justice of the Rajasthan High Court. Currently serving as a judge in the Chhattisgarh High Court, Agrawal’s appointment comes amid serious allegations of administrative misconduct against the acting chief justice of Rajasthan, Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, who is slated to retire on September 26.

Comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant along with Justices Vikram Nath and BV Nagarathna, the collegium’s recommendation follows growing discontent among legal professionals regarding Sharma’s conduct. Recently, Sharma opted to disassociate himself from presiding over cases after facing protests from lawyers advocating for his removal. The Bar and Bench reported on the unrest, which has swelled to a strike declared by the Rajasthan High Court Lawyers Association, demanding accountability and change.

Allegations against Sharma have been serious. Justice Sandeep Mehta of the Supreme Court, in letters addressed to Chief Justice Kant, claimed that Sharma had engaged in manipulative practices concerning case listings, favoring affluent litigants while simultaneously appointing individuals close to him to key administrative positions. These allegations raised significant concerns regarding the integrity of judicial proceedings in the Rajasthan High Court.

In light of the tumultuous circumstances, the new judicial roster prepared by Sharma has made notable adjustments, including the absence of any bench that includes him as a member. Additionally, no regular judicial sittings have been assigned to him for the coming days, and cases previously overseen by him have been reassigned to different benches, as per reports from Bar and Bench.

This development not only reflects the ongoing challenges within the Rajasthan High Court but also highlights the larger issues of integrity and transparency in the Indian judicial system. The proposed appointment of Justice Agrawal signals a potential shift towards restoring faith in the judiciary, particularly in a state grappling with significant allegations of impropriety.

Source: scroll.in