JAIPUR: Lawyers at the Rajasthan High Court's principal seat in Jodhpur have announced a boycott of judicial work until September 6, while advocates at the Jaipur Bench staged a protest on Monday over allegations concerning the functioning of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.
The protests followed reports of three letters purportedly written by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), raising concerns about the acting Chief Justice's judicial and administrative functioning.
At an emergency joint meeting in Jodhpur, the Rajasthan High Court Advocates' Association and the Rajasthan High Court Lawyers' Association decided that their members would refrain from appearing before the courts, either physically or virtually, until September 6.
The associations called for an impartial examination of issues reportedly raised in the letters, including alleged misuse of administrative authority, interference in case listings and other administrative irregularities. The allegations have not been adjudicated.
The lawyers' bodies said they would submit a memorandum to the President, the prime minister, the CJI and members of the Supreme Court Collegium. They are seeking the removal of the acting Chief Justice from judicial and administrative duties until the controversy is resolved, along with the appointment of a permanent Chief Justice.
They have also demanded that the targeted file system across the state be discontinued.
A committee will decide the associations' next course of action, while efforts will also be made to seek support from other bar associations across Rajasthan.
The Jodhpur associations said the protest was aimed at protecting the independence and credibility of the judiciary and was not directed against any particular judge. They stressed that transparency was essential to maintaining public confidence in the justice system.
At the Jaipur Bench, lawyers gathered outside the acting Chief Justice's courtroom and raised slogans, disrupting proceedings there.
Rajeev Sograwal, president of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association, Jaipur, urged the CJI to order an impartial inquiry and make its findings public.
"Until the actual position is clarified, doubts will remain in people’s minds about the judiciary. Such uncertainty is not in the interest of an institution like the High Court," Sograwal said.
