Centre appoints Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as Rajasthan HC

The Indian government has appointed Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as the new chief justice of the Rajasthan High Court. The notification was issued on Saturday night.

This appointment could end a nearly year-long period without a regular chief justice for the court. It follows a recommendation made by the Supreme Court collegium just four days prior.

The appointment and its context

The Centre's notification named eight new chief justices for various high courts across India. Justice Agrawal, currently a judge at the Chhattisgarh High Court, was selected for the Rajasthan post. The collegium had also recommended his transfer from Chhattisgarh to help the move.

The appointment gains significance against the backdrop of serious allegations made by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta. In letters to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant in August, Justice Mehta accused the Rajasthan High Court's acting chief justice, Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, of "corruption", "nepotism", "favouritism" and misuse of administrative powers. Justice Mehta sought Justice Sharma's transfer out of Rajasthan.

The unresolved allegations

While Justice Agrawal's appointment addresses the leadership vacancy, it does not resolve the separate allegations against Justice Sharma. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has indicated that such allegations must be dealt with through established institutional mechanisms, giving the accused judge an opportunity to respond.

Justice Sharma has submitted a detailed response to the CJI, denying the allegations as baseless and factless. He stated that he supported his rebuttal with evidence. His potential transfer out of Rajasthan has not yet been examined by the collegium, and the matter remains under institutional consideration.

Other judicial appointments

The government's notification included several other high-level judicial appointments across the country. The full list of new chief justices is as follows:

The immediate implications

Justice Agrawal's move to Rajasthan comes at a critical time. He was serving as the acting chief justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court following the retirement of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha on September 4. Justice Sharma, who has been the acting chief justice in Rajasthan since September 2025, is due to retire on September 26.

The arrival of a regular chief justice before that date would conclude a prolonged period of interim leadership for the Rajasthan High Court. The separate institutional proceedings concerning the allegations against Justice Sharma will continue to be handled by the CJI and the collegium.