JAIPUR: Union law minister Arjun Ram Megwal announced on Saturday night that President Droupadi Murmu has appointed chief justices for eight high courts, including Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.The announcement ends the uncertainty over Rajasthan HC acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma’s continuity in the post as the Supreme Court collegium recommended Monday Chhattisgarh HC judge Justice Sanjay K Agarwal’s elevation as CJ in Rajasthan.Earlier Friday, Justice Agrawal was made the acting CJ of Chhattisgarh HC following Justice Ramesh Sinha’s retirement.The President’s warrant clears his appointment as CJ in Rajasthan.
Justice Mehta associated with me for long time, says Gavai
The Rajasthan governor will administer Justice Agarwal’s oath of office and secrecy, after which he will assume charge as CJ.Meghwal shared the list on X, which mentioned that Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra of Orissa HC has been appointed as the new CJ of Chhattisgarh.Justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati, a judge in Rajasthan HC, has been appointed CJ of J&K and Ladakh HC.Earlier in the day, a revised roster indicated Justice Sharma of Rajasthan HC, who is due to retire on September 26, would resume duties. He had stepped aside from judicial work August 31 to September 4.Justice Sharma has rejected the allegations as “baseless”, “unfounded” and stemming from “animosity”, and earlier described them as “frivolous, concocted and baseless”.Ex-CJI Gavai, speaking Saturday on the sidelines of an event at Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, said he was initially “surprised and shocked” by Justice Mehta’s decision to write to the CJI but changed his view after making enquiries through sitting Rajasthan HC judges.“I would normally refrain from commenting on such developments because of judicial discipline. But let me tell you, Justice Mehta had been associated with me for a long time, as he shared the bench with me at Supreme Court and is like my younger brother,” Justice Gavai said.He said Justice Mehta told him his patience had run out and that he regarded Rajasthan HC as his “mother” and could not remain silent if he felt she was being ill-treated.“Whatever I heard, shocked me,” he said, adding that information and inputs from Rajasthan HC judges led him to reconsider his initial reaction.
