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Former Rajasthan High Court acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma says he has asked Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to let him cross-examine Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta. Sharma denies Mehta’s reported allegations of misuse of office and maladministration. The request is not reported as granted, and the accounts cited here do not establish a final official finding against Sharma.
What did Justice Sandeep Mehta reportedly allege?
The New Indian Express reported that Mehta wrote to CJI Surya Kant on August 2, 10 and 17, 2026, seeking Sharma’s immediate replacement as acting chief justice of the Rajasthan High Court. The letters reportedly accused Sharma of misuse of office and gross maladministration. Those are allegations attributed to Mehta, not established findings.
The Indian Express later reported a fourth letter, dated August 30. It described further allegations of administrative interference, including intervention in an inquiry by a complaint committee involving a judicial officer. That account also said the allegations were being examined at the appropriate level. The underlying letters were not presented as publicly accessible primary documents in the reports cited here, so the details are based on the outlets’ accounts of them.
What has Sharma said in response?
In a statement reported by Bar & Bench on September 3, Sharma denied the allegations, calling them baseless and motivated by resentment. He also urged the media and others to wait for the CJI’s decision. In interviews published by The Indian Express on October 1 and Hindustan Times on October 2, he again rejected the accusations, describing them as fabricated or driven by professional jealousy.
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In the Hindustan Times interview, Sharma said: “I’ve sent a letter to the CJI citing that I should be given an opportunity to cross-examine Justice Mehta.” That is Sharma’s description of a request he says he made; the interview does not establish that the request was granted.
What does the cross-examination request mean?
It means Sharma says he wants an opportunity to question Mehta in connection with the allegations. It does not, by itself, show that an institutional inquiry has adopted a courtroom procedure, that Mehta has been directed to appear, or that the CJI or Collegium has accepted Sharma’s request. The reports cited here do not establish any of those outcomes.
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Has the CJI or Collegium issued a final decision?
No final decision or official finding against Sharma is established in the reports cited here. The Indian Express reported that the allegations were being examined, while The New Indian Express stressed that allegations are not findings. Sharma’s statement calling for patience until the CJI decides likewise does not establish what that decision will be or whether one has been issued. The available accounts do not report a final disposition.
What is the timeline?
| Date | Reported event |
|---|---|
| August 2, 10 and 17, 2026 | The New Indian Express reported that Mehta sent three letters to CJI Surya Kant seeking Sharma’s replacement and alleging misuse of office and maladministration. |
| August 30, 2026 | The Indian Express reported the date of a fourth letter, which alleged further administrative interference, including in an inquiry involving a judicial officer. |
| September 3, 2026 | Bar & Bench reported Sharma’s public denial of the allegations. |
| September 8, 2026 | The Indian Express published its report on the fourth letter and said the allegations were being examined. |
| September 26, 2026 | The Department of Justice judges list records Sharma’s retirement date. |
| October 1 and 2, 2026 | The Indian Express and Hindustan Times published interviews in which Sharma again denied the allegations; in the latter, he discussed his request to cross-examine Mehta. |
Why is Sharma described as a former acting chief justice?
The Department of Justice judges list gives Sharma’s retirement date as September 26, 2026, and his appointment date as November 16, 2016. The October interviews therefore describe him as a former acting chief justice or retired judge. The reports concern allegations about his conduct while serving in the Rajasthan High Court, not a finding that he committed corruption.
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