Justice Sandeep Mehta Urges CJI Surya Kant to Remove Rajasthan HC Acting Chief Justice

Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta has reportedly written to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant requesting the immediate replacement of Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.

In three letters dated 2 August, 10 August and 17 August 2026, accessed by Bar & Bench, Justice Mehta accused Justice Sharma of misusing administrative power and manipulating case listings to favour wealthy litigants ahead of his retirement next month.

Allegations and Misuse of Power

As per the report, Justice Mehta urged the Collegium to appoint a Chief Justice from another state "with immediate effect," citing widespread anguish expressed by sitting judges:

• Coercion of Colleagues: High Court judges reported being threatened with retributive transfers by Justice Sharma, who cited his proximity to the CJI.
• Bench Allocation Irregularities: Cases involving valuable land in Udaipur were listed before Justice Sharma's bench at Jaipur, contradicting his own prior ruling that Jodhpur principal bench matters could not be moved there.
• Institutional Delay: Justice Sharma allegedly held up the inauguration of a new Jodhpur court building on personal whims, causing severe institutional loss. He also allegedly targeted the spouse of a sitting High Court judge who serves in the district judiciary.

Complaints of Favouritism and Irregular Elevations

A separate complaint reportedly sent by advocate Pooja Tripathi to Supreme Court judges outlines systemic nepotism in judicial appointments:

• Lok Adalat Appointments: Justice Sharma allegedly secured Permanent Lok Adalat posts in Jaipur and Ajmer for close personal associates, including a childhood friend and spouses of district judges.
• High Court Recommendations: The Acting Chief Justice recommended four female advocates for elevation to the High Court, despite none of them being in active legal practice. All four are reportedly linked to senior lawyers or retired judges close to him.

Supreme Court Observation and "Hitting Sixes"

The letters accessed by the legal news portal invoke a recent observation by a Supreme Court bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, which warned against judges attempting to "hit sixes" and passing orders for extraneous considerations on the eve of retirement. Justice Mehta noted that Justice Sharma appears to hold a licence to "hit sixes" ever since taking over as Acting Chief Justice more than 10 months ago.

Collegium History and Demand for Immediate Transfer

Appointed to the Rajasthan High Court in November 2016, Justice Sharma was transferred to Patna in 2022 and later to Punjab and Haryana in March 2023 after the Collegium declined his health-based repatriation request. He returned to Rajasthan in May 2025 as Acting Chief Justice.

Warning against ongoing efforts to confirm Justice Sharma as permanent Chief Justice despite "damning evidence," Justice Mehta stated that failing to transfer him out immediately to save the court from further damage would be wholly against the interest of the institution.