SC judge complains against Raj acting CJ; CJI Surya Kant seeks response
ustice Mehta, who also hails from Rajasthan HC, has accused Justice Sharma of lacking in leadership qualities and alleged there was maladministration and malpractice on both judicial and administrative sides of HC. CJI Kant told TOI that the matter can be resolved only as per the established mechanism. “The Supreme Court cannot allow individual complaints concerning judges to be determined…
New Delhi: In response to letters penned by SC judge Sandeep Mehta, complaining about Rajasthan high court acting chief justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and requesting his transfer, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant announced on Wednesday that he has requested a response from Sharma. Mehta had sent three letters within the span of a few weeks, pleading for Sharma's transfer and the appointment of a regular chief justice. Mehta also expressed discontent over CJI Kant's failure to act upon his repeated appeals.
The Rajasthan HC judge, a fellow native of the state, accused Sharma of inadequate leadership qualities and alleged maladministration and malpractice on both judicial and administrative fronts within the high court. CJI Kant, speaking to The Indian Express, stated that the matter could only be resolved through the established mechanism.
"The Supreme Court cannot allow individual complaints concerning judges to be determined through competing claims in the media," he emphasized. Kant also released a public statement on Wednesday, denouncing efforts to hold a public trial over allegations made by one judge against another.
The judge in question must be granted a fair chance to respond, according to CJI Surya Kant. The contents of the letters cannot be adjudicated in the public domain, and the concerned judge should be given the opportunity to present their response before any conclusions are drawn. Kant further explained that the established procedure for investigating allegations against a Supreme Court or High Court judge involves the formation of an in-house committee, composed of judges, by the Chief Justice of India.
This committee is convened if the Chief Justice deems the accused judge's response unsatisfactory and believes the charges to be significant enough to warrant a more thorough investigation.
CJI Kant, currently on a three-day official visit to Germany, also informed TOI that he has already requested a response from Sharma following Mehta's letters. Mehta’s allegations, which include the presence of "clear evidence of favoritism" by Sharma, are currently under examination, according to Kant.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
