Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta has alleged corruption and misuse of office by Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma of the Rajasthan High Court [1].
The allegations have sparked a crisis of confidence in one of India's major state courts, leading to public protests and formal requests for leadership changes.
Justice Mehta wrote letters to the Chief Justice of India requesting the replacement of Acting Chief Justice Sharma [3]. The Supreme Court judge flagged charges of corruption and the misuse of official powers within the Rajasthan High Court [1], [3].
Following these allegations, advocates at the Rajasthan High Court in Jaipur staged protests to demand the removal of the acting chief justice [4]. The lawyers gathered to defend judicial integrity and express their lack of confidence in the current leadership [4].
During the demonstrations, protesting Rajasthan High Court advocates chanted, "Gali gali mein shor hai, hamara mukhiya chor hai," which translates to "There is noise in every street, our leader is a thief" [1].
The unrest comes as Justice Mehta raised these concerns before his own retirement [2]. The situation has placed the Chief Justice of India in a position where he must address the formal request for the removal of a high-ranking state judicial officer [3].
Legal professionals in Jaipur have continued to push for transparency regarding the allegations of misconduct [4]. The protests highlight a growing tension between the state's judicial administration, and the legal community it serves [4].
“"Gali gali mein shor hai, hamara mukhiya chor hai"”
The intervention of a sitting Supreme Court justice in the administration of a state high court is a rare and significant escalation. By formally requesting the Chief Justice of India to replace an acting chief justice, Justice Mehta has moved the dispute from internal judicial grievances to a matter of national judicial oversight. The subsequent protests by advocates suggest that the perceived lack of integrity at the top of the Rajasthan High Court has eroded the trust of the practitioners who rely on that court's impartiality.
