Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice rejects allegations, urges patience

Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma. Photo: rajasthan.nalsa.gov.in.

Breaking his silence over the letters reportedly written by a Supreme Court judge, the Rajasthan High Court’s Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma has rejected the allegations levelled against him as baseless and called upon all concerned to “remain patient” until the Chief Justice of India (CJI) takes a decision.

The Supreme Court’s Collegium has in the aftermath of the letter recommended the transfer of Chhattisgarh High Court judge, Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal, to Rajasthan and his elevation as the Chief Justice, replacing Justice Sharma, who is scheduled to retire on September 26.

“I wish to make it clear that I reject all the allegations. They are baseless and have been levelled by the Honourable Judge out of ranjish (rancour),” Justice Sharma said in a statement in Hindi released here on Wednesday night. Justice Sandeep Mehta of the Supreme Court had sought his transfer while complaining of his conduct and alleging “misuse of powers, favouritism, nepotism, and administrative lapses”.

In his letters addressed to the CJI, Justice Mehta alleged that Justice Sharma had misused his powers as master of the roster by selectively moving cases to his own Bench and had favoured “rich and influential” litigants. He said the High Court’s functioning and administrative decisions under Justice Sharma had raised serious questions about the institution.

Justice Sharma said he had placed his version before CJI Surya Kant, while rejecting with the supporting evidence all “baseless, false, and factually incorrect” allegations contained in the letters written by Justice Mehta.

While Justice Sharma opted out of judicial work earlier this week, lawyers’ associations in the State announced a strike till September 6 demanding that he be relieved of his judicial and administrative responsibilities. In the Jaipur Bench of the High Court, a section of lawyers sat on a protest outside his courtroom and indulged in sloganeering on August 31.

The Acting Chief Justice called upon the lawyers, journalists and all concerned to “respect the principles of justice and exercise patience until the CJI takes a decision”. “I have complete faith in the Indian judicial system. When the right time comes, upon receiving approval from the CJI, I will myself appear before the media and present my side. Until then, please maintain patience,” Justice Sharma said.

Following the reports about Justice Mehta’s communications to Justice Kant, the Chief Justice of India had stated that the matter was being examined through the appropriate institutional mechanism and that Justice Sharma would be given an opportunity to respond before any conclusion was reached.