In eye of storm, Rajasthan Chief Justice opts out of hearing cases

In a move amid ongoing controversies, Rajasthan Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma has opted out of presiding over cases. This decision comes following recommendations from the Supreme Court Collegium to appoint Chhattisgarh High Court Judge Sanjay K Agarwal as the new Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court. Simultaneously, Justice Pushpendra Bhati, the second senior-most judge at Rajasthan High Court, will transfer to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

Acting Chief Justice Sharma took leave earlier, and the updated roster for Jaipur bench indicates his absence from September 1 to September 5. The roster for August 24 listed various matters under his jurisdiction, including PIL matters, Special Appeals, Income Tax matters, contempt cases, and Civil Writ Petitions. However, as lawyer associations protested, Sharma altered the roster to exclude himself.

The new Division Bench includes Justice Inderjeet Singh and Justice Sandeep Taneja, now tasked with all matters previously overseen by the acting CJ and Justice Sangeeta Sharma, except for arbitration cases.