Centre clears appointment of Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court

The Central government on Saturday cleared the appointment of Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.

Justice Agrawal is currently the Acting Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court. He was elevated as an additional judge of that Court in September 2013 and made a permanent judge in March 2016.

His elevation as Chief Justice comes amid a controversy over the conduct of the present Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.

Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta had recently written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant seeking Justice Sharma's transfer out of Rajasthan and appointment of a regular Chief Justice from another High Court. Justice Mehta had raised allegations concerning Justice Sharma's exercise of administrative powers and the listing of cases.

The controversy also triggered protests by lawyers at both the Jaipur and Jodhpur benches of the Rajasthan High Court, with lawyers demanding that Justice Sharma be divested of his charge as Acting Chief Justice.

Justice Sharma, who is set to retire later this month, has denied the allegations against him.