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SC Recommends Justice Sanjay K Agrawal as Chief Justice Amid Row
The , in a pivotal meeting on , recommended Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal, a judge of the , for appointment as the Chief Justice of the . The recommendation comes amidst a storm of controversy surrounding the High Court's , Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, following serious allegations of raised by a sitting judge.
A in Motion: Three High Courts See New Chief Justice Recommendations
In a single resolution, the —led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Vikram Nath, B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh, and P.S. Narasimha—moved to fill the top judicial posts for three High Courts. Alongside Justice Agrawal's nomination for Rajasthan, the recommended Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje of the as Chief Justice of the , and Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati of the as Chief Justice of the .
The also recommended the immediate transfer of Justice Agrawal to the pending his , a procedural move designed to ensure he joins as the there without delay. In a separate resolution, Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra of the was recommended as Chief Justice of the , succeeding the incumbent who retires on .
The Storm at the
The recommendation for a for the is far from routine. It follows an explosive series of letters sent to the Chief Justice of India by judge Justice Sandeep Mehta, who was himself elevated from the .
Justice Mehta, in three letters dated August 2, August 10, and , leveled serious allegations against Sanjeev Prakash Sharma. The judge accused Justice Sharma of “” and misconduct in the exercise of his administrative powers and in the . Justice Mehta explicitly urged the CJI to appoint a from another High Court—a call the has now answered.
The crisis deepened as lawyers at both the Jaipur and Jodhpur benches of the launched protests, demanding that Justice Sharma be divested of his charge. In a dramatic turn, Justice Sharma subsequently opted out of judicial work, with a roster finalized on not assigning him any regular sittings from to . His retirement is scheduled for .
Institutional Response from the Apex Court
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had previously acknowledged the situation publicly, issuing a statement on the same day the letters became public. He assured that the would consider Justice Mehta’s allegations through an “.” The August 31 resolution is the direct outcome of that process.
The recommendation now moves to the , which will process it in accordance with the governing the appointment and transfer of High Court judges. Once cleared, Justice Agrawal will take over as the of the , drawing this chapter of administrative turmoil to a close.
