BIG JUDICIAL ROW: Supreme Court Judge Shri Mehta Wants Rajasthan High Court Acting CJ Shri Sharma

‘Misuse of Powers, Integrity Doubts’: Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta Writes 3 Letters to CJI Surya Kant Against Rajasthan Acting CJ SP Sharma

In an extraordinary and rare development, Supreme Court Judge Justice Sandeep Mehta has written to Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, demanding the immediate removal of Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.

Justice Mehta, who himself hails from Rajasthan High Court, has written three letters dated August 2, 10, and 17, 2026 to the CJI and other members of the Supreme Court Collegium.

Why did he write the letter?

According to reports accessed by Bar & Bench and Indian Express, Justice Mehta has levelled serious allegations:

Misuse of Master of Roster Power: Justice Mehta alleged that Justice SP Sharma has been selectively pulling cases to his own bench, especially cases involving rich and influential litigants, land and mining matters.

Integrity Doubts: In his first letter, Justice Mehta wrote, “I have received several complaints about the judicial functioning of Mr. Justice S.P. Sharma which, prima facie, raise doubts on his integrity.”

Threatening Fellow Judges: He claimed that during his visits to Rajasthan, numerous High Court judges met him and expressed anguish, alleging that Justice Sharma frequently threatens colleagues with retributive transfers, claiming closeness to the CJI.

Maladministration & Favouritism: He accused him of “gross maladministration, malpractices, nepotism and favouritism” and trying to “hit sixes before retirement.” Justice Sharma is due to retire on September 26, 2026.

Unusually Long Tenure as Acting CJ: Justice Mehta pointed out that Justice Sharma has been acting as Acting Chief Justice for more than 10 months, which is unusually long.

Justice Mehta has requested CJI Surya Kant to:

“Forthwith transfer Justice SP Sharma out of the State and appoint a Chief Justice from outside Rajasthan with immediate effect.”

He warned that continued inaction is “wholly against the interest of the institution.”

Background of Justice SP Sharma:

Justice SP Sharma was elevated to Rajasthan High Court in 2016, transferred to Patna High Court in 2022. In March 2023, the Collegium led by then CJI DY Chandrachud rejected his request to return to Rajasthan on health grounds and sent him to Punjab & Haryana High Court. In May 2025, he was allowed to return to Rajasthan and later became Acting Chief Justice after former CJ Justice M M Shrivastava demitted office.

The Rajasthan High Court Registrar General has not yet responded to queries.