Journalism of Courage
‘Misuse of powers’: Why a Supreme Court Justice wants a judge transferred
Supreme Court Judge Justice Sandeep Mehta has asked Chief Justice Surya Kant to transfer Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice SP Sharma over allegations of roster manipulation and misuse of power.
In a series of three letters, also marked to other members of the Supreme Court Collegium earlier this month, Justice Mehta accused Justice Sharma of "misuse of powers" (File)
In an unusual development, Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta recently wrote to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant requesting the transfer of Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice S P Sharma to another High Court and the appointment of a new Chief Justice from some other High Court.
In a series of three letters, also marked to other members of the Supreme Court Collegium earlier this month, Justice Mehta, who also hails from Rajasthan, accused Justice Sharma of “misuse of powers” and said he had received “several complaints” which “raise doubts on” Justice Sharma’s “integrity”.
He requested that Justice Sharma be “forthwith transferred out of the State looking to his unbecoming conduct” and that not doing so would be “wholly against the interest of the institution”.
When contacted by The Indian Express for comments, phone calls to the Registrar General of the Rajasthan High Court went unanswered.
Elevated to the Rajasthan High Court in 2016, Justice Sharma was transferred to the Patna High Court in 2022. In 2023, the Supreme Court Collegium turned down his request to be sent back to Rajasthan on health grounds, moving him instead to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In May this year, the Collegium accepted his request to return, following which he assumed the role of Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
Allegations of roster manipulation
Justice Mehta alleges that since taking charge, Justice Sharma “has exhibited total lack of leadership qualities and behaviour unbecoming of a leader of the institution on more than one occasion”.
“Several instances where cases listed in other rosters were suddenly withdrawn by exercising powers of the master of the roster and shifted to the Bench of Mr Justice S P Sharma without any justifiable cause and orders were passed raising serious question mark on the integrity of the decision-making process, Justice Mehta said in a letter.
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Rajasthan High Court Acting Chief Justice S P Sharma (right) faces allegations of roster manipulation, nepotism and administrative lapses in letters written by Justice Sandeep Mehta (Photos: Supreme Court, Rajasthan High Court).
‘Deliberate attempt to humiliate’
One of the letters also spoke about the “humiliation” Justice Mehta had to endure after being invited to a conference in Jaipur from July 31 to August 2. Justice Mehta noted that he and fellow Supreme Court judge Justice Vijay Bishnoi were invited to the event and consented to attend the inaugural session headed by CJI Kant.
“However, the invitation card issued by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority does not bear any reference whatsoever to our names,” wrote Justice Mehta.
He said that although he had given his consent to speak at the inaugural session, the minute-to-minute program displayed on the dais did not reflect this. Upon noticing this discrepancy, he said he immediately texted his private secretary to inform the coordinating officer, specifically the member secretary of the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority. He arrived at the dais a few minutes later and presented an amended programme along with a formal apology, said Justice Mehta in the letter.
“Apparently, this was a deliberate attempt to humiliate the sitting Judges of the Supreme Court whose parent High Court is the Rajasthan High Court,” he added.
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Justice Mehta further highlighted an incident on August 1, 2026, where a foundation stone-laying ceremony for a High Court Guest House in Jaipur took place without informing either him or Justice Bishnoi, despite both being present in the city.
“It is not that this event was organised out of the blue or cropped up at the last moment. Invitation cards were printed and preparations were made in advance, but the names of both the Judges of the Supreme Court hailing from Rajasthan were deliberately excluded from the function. This is grave intentional humiliation towards which I register my strong protest.”
Claims of nepotism and administrative apathy
Another letter accused Justice Sharma of “indulging in rampant nepotism and favouritism having taken advantage of the fact that he has been permitted to continue in the position of the Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court for more than last 10 months”. Justice Mehta remarked that it was “beyond comprehension… why such a long rope has been given to” the judge.
The letter cited messages from a sitting judge of the Rajasthan High Court who complained about alleged “vindictive actions” by Justice Sharma against his wife, who serves as a judicial officer.
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Justice Mehta accused Justice Sharma of “unilaterally” delaying the inauguration of the newly constructed Jodhpur District Court (Metro) building for nearly a year, despite its completion, while directing “wholesale changes in the well-made infrastructure”.
“This arbitrary decision was taken despite the fact that many Courts in the Jodhpur Metro Judgeship are functioning in rented premises. The loss caused to the Institution by the irrational decision… is unpardonable,” Justice Mehta wrote, calling it a “serious reflection on administrative apathy and incompetence” and “reflects totally anti-institutional approach”.
CJI Kant finally inaugurated the building after Justice Mehta and Justice Bishnoi took it up with him.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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