India
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Justice Mehta writes 3 letters seeking Rajasthan Chief Justice transfer
The Hindu··27 Aug
Supreme Court judge Sandeep Mehta wrote three letters to Chief Justice Surya Kant this month. He asked why his appeals to transfer Rajasthan High Court acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma were ignored. Mehta alleged maladministration, nepotism and favouritism, and said cases were withdrawn from other benches without cause. Sharma is due to retire on September 26.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Cases moved between benches without stated reason affect every litigant waiting on those listings.
- Rajasthan High Court has run without a regular Chief Justice since the start of 2026.
- Sharma retires on September 26, so the appointment question resolves either way within weeks.
What's Happening
- Justice Mehta wrote to the Chief Justice of India on August 2, 10 and 17.
- He alleged cases were withdrawn from other benches and moved to the acting Chief Justice's court.
- He wrote that judges reported being threatened with transfer, and cited a plan for a 100-room guest house.
Who Controls the Roster
- A High Court Chief Justice decides which bench hears which case, a power known as master of the roster.
- Mehta says he raised the listings in writing, was told to submit a list, then told no list was needed.
- He noted the CJI's own bench had flagged judges passing orders for extraneous reasons late in their careers.
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