Politics
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SC Judge Seeks Transfer Of Rajasthan's Acting Chief Justice
The Hindu··26 Aug
Supreme Court judge Sandeep Mehta wrote three letters to Chief Justice Surya Kant in August, alleging 'rampant nepotism and favouritism' by Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and asking why his repeated appeals for a transfer have been ignored. Mehta cited unjustified case transfers and humiliation of judicial officers as evidence of maladministration.
Prism
What It Means For You
- If you follow judicial accountability, this rare public letter from a sitting SC judge shows internal grievances about High Court leadership can surface even without external triggers.
- Litigants and lawyers in Rajasthan may watch closely, since allegations of case transfers 'without justifiable cause' could affect confidence in how matters are assigned there.
- It's a reminder that judicial appointments and transfers, usually handled quietly through the Collegium, can become public disputes affecting institutional trust.
What's Happening
- Justice Sandeep Mehta wrote three letters between August 2 and 17 asking Chief Justice Surya Kant to transfer Rajasthan HC's Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.
- He alleged cases were shifted to the ACJ's bench without justification, judicial officers were humiliated, and a costly multi-storey guest house tower was planned.
- Mehta noted the CJI had asked Sharma to respond to the case-shifting issue but said no update on the reply was shared with him.
How Judicial Transfers And Collegium Decisions Work
- Justice Sharma's request for repatriation to Rajasthan High Court was rejected by the Supreme Court Collegium in March 2023 before being approved in May 2025.
- Sharma has served as Acting Chief Justice of Rajasthan for over 10 months, well beyond the norm for such temporary appointments, and retires on September 26.
- Mehta referenced the CJI's own recent remarks about judges passing orders for extraneous considerations late in their careers, calling the irony striking.
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