Before Supreme Court Collegium recommended new Chief Justice for Rajasthan High Court, a Monday evening meeting

Before Supreme Court Collegium recommended new Chief Justice for Rajasthan High Court, a Monday evening session Allegations against Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma trigger lawyers' protests in Jaipur.

Key points

• 3 min read Jaipur, New Delhi Sep 1, 2026 05: 20 AM IST.
• In a significant move, the Collegium on Monday recommended Chhattisgarh High Court Judge Sanjay K Agarwal as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
• As Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh HC, meanwhile, the SC Collegium additionally recommended Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje, a judge at the Gujarat High Court.
• The development comes days after letters by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant became public.
• Apart from CJI Kant, the Collegium comprises Justices Vikram Nath, M M Sundresh, B V Nagarathna and P S Narasimha.

Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma has been accused of misuse of powers by SC's Justice Sandeep Mehta. (Special arrangement photo/ Image enhanced using AI).

In a significant move, the Collegium on Monday recommended Chhattisgarh High Court Judge Sanjay K Agarwal as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. The decision came within an hour of Rajasthan HC's Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma going on leave.

As Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, the SC Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, additionally recommended the appointment of Justice Pushpendra Bhati, the second senior-most judge of the Rajasthan HC.

Meanwhile, the decisions were taken in a session on Monday evening in which a litany of allegations against Justice Sharma were discussed. Sources informed The Indian Express that while there was no formal decision to ask Justice Sharma to go on leave, the Collegium will examine the allegations against him.

In practice, the development comes days after letters by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant became public. In his letters sent to the CJI – on August 2, August 10 and August 17 – and copied to other members of the Supreme Court Collegium, Justice Mehta accused Justice Sharma of "misuse of powers" and remarked he had received "several complaints". It "raise doubts" on the Acting CJ's "integrity". Based on this, Justice Mehta additionally sought transfer of the acting CJ to another High Court and the appointment of a new Chief Justice.

Why Jodhpur lawyers are seeking end of system that affects 'work-life balance'.

For context, the examination of the allegations against Justice Sharma, the Collegium discussed, could additionally include looking into some of his orders that have been reportedly flagged in the complaint. There is additionally a view within the Collegium to tread cautiously given Justice Sharma is anyway due to retire on 26 September.

As per the updated roster for the Jaipur Bench, Justice Sharma will not be holding any sitting from September 1 to September 5.

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan HC witnessed unprecedented scenes with lawyers' associations escalating their protests against Justice Sharma.

While in Jodhpur, both lawyers' associations confirmed a strike till Sunday and demanded that Justice Sharma be relieved of judicial and administrative duties, in Jaipur, a section of lawyers sat outside his court.

As Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh HC, meanwhile, the SC Collegium additionally recommended Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje, a judge at the Gujarat High Court. With these three new names, seven recommendations for appointment as Chief Justices will be pending before the administration. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.

Apurva Vishwanath is the National Legal Editor at The Indian Express, where she leads the organization's coverage of the Indian judiciary, constitutional law, and public policy. A law graduate with a B.A., LL.B (Hons) from Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Apurva brings over a decade of specialized experience to her reporting. She is an authority on judicial appointments and the Supreme Court Collegium, providing critical analysis of the country's legal landscape. Before joining The Indian Express in 2019, she honed her expertise at The Print and Mint. Follow her insights on the intersection of law and governance on Twitter.

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