Rajasthan High Court acting chief justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma has denied all allegations levelled against him by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta, calling them “baseless” and saying they were made out of “animosity”.
In his first public response to the controversy, Justice Sharma said he had submitted his response, along with evidence, to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and urged the media, lawyers and others to wait for the CJI’s decision.
“Recent developments in the media and social media” had prompted him to issue the clarification, Justice Sharma said in a statement in Hindi.
Justice Sharma said he had “denied with evidence” the allegations made by Justice Mehta in his letters to the CJI, describing the accusations as “unfounded, false and factless”.
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The allegations surfaced after Justice Mehta, in three letters dated August 2, 10 and 17, urged CJI Surya Kant to appoint a chief justice from another high court to head the Rajasthan High Court and sought Justice Sharma’s transfer out of Rajasthan.
{{/usCountry}}The allegations surfaced after Justice Mehta, in three letters dated August 2, 10 and 17, urged CJI Surya Kant to appoint a chief justice from another high court to head the Rajasthan High Court and sought Justice Sharma’s transfer out of Rajasthan.
{{/usCountry}}Justice Mehta had accused the acting chief justice of maladministration, corruption, nepotism and favouritism. He also 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.
Justice Mehta had also raised concerns over several administrative decisions at the high court, including the functioning of the Jodhpur principal seat and a three-day conference in Jaipur. He alleged that the court’s functioning and administrative decisions under Justice Sharma had raised serious questions about the institution.
What Justice Sharma said
In his statement, Justice Sharma appealed to the media, members of the Bar and others to respect the principles of justice and exercise restraint until the CJI takes a decision.
“I have complete faith in the Indian judicial system,” he said, adding that he would appear before the media himself and present his side once the CJI gives him permission to do so.
Justice Sharma also said he would explain his position publicly “at the right time”, subject to the CJI’s approval.
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His response comes days after CJI Surya Kant said allegations against a sitting judge cannot be treated as findings without due process. The CJI had said the matter was being examined through the appropriate institutional mechanism and that Justice Sharma must be given a fair opportunity to respond.
“The fact that allegations have been made cannot by itself be treated as a finding against the judge,” CJI Kant had said, according to Hindustan Times.
Controversy over Rajasthan HC leadership
The dispute has unfolded as the Rajasthan High Court has remained without a permanent chief justice, with Justice Sharma serving as acting chief justice.
On September 1, the Supreme Court collegium recommended Chhattisgarh High Court judge Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as the next chief justice of the Rajasthan High Court. The recommendation came amid protests by lawyers in Jaipur and Jodhpur seeking the appointment of a regular chief justice.
Justice Sharma had also opted out of judicial work until September 5 as the controversy intensified.