Rajasthan High Court Lawyers Declare Strike Till September 6 Over Allegations Against Acting Chief Justice SP Sharma | VIDEO

Jaipur, August 31, 2026: The Rajasthan High Court Lawyers Association on Monday declared a complete strike till Sunday, September 6. The decision was taken at a general house meeting, following protests by advocates at both benches of the High Court earlier in the day. Association President Dilip Singh Udawat announced the decision after the meeting.

Lawyers Step Up Protest

"In our emergency meeting, we all concurred that what is happening is against the sanctity of justice and we must raise our voices. So we have decided to go on strike until Sunday. Until then, we will send representations to the Chief Justice of India and the President," Udawat said.

Videos circulated on social media showed advocates sitting in the corridors of the High Court and raising slogans against Justice Sharma. At the Jaipur premises, police were called in to disperse the protesting lawyers, Live Law and Bar & Bench reported.

Among the slogans raised was, "Gali gali mein shor hai, humara mukhiya chor hai" (The word on the street is that our chief is a thief).

The strike represents a significant escalation of the controversy surrounding the Acting Chief Justice, taking allegations that were initially raised through letters into a public protest by lawyers. However, the allegations remain unproven and are yet to be examined through the established process.

Justice Mehta Raises Serious Allegations

The protests follow recent letters sent by Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, accusing Justice Sharma of misusing his administrative powers and manipulating case listings.

Justice Mehta also urged the CJI to appoint a Chief Justice from another High Court to head the Rajasthan High Court "with immediate effect".

In one of his letters, Justice Mehta wrote: "There are innumerable instances of Mr. Justice Sharma, exercising powers as the Acting Chief Justice in a manner unbecoming of the leader of the institution... I have received several complaints about the judicial functioning of Mr. Justice S.P. Sharma which, prima facie, raise doubts on his integrity."

Justice Mehta also said that several judges had approached him during his visit and alleged that the Acting Chief Justice frequently threatened fellow judges with retributive action, including transfers, while claiming closeness with the CJI.

These are serious allegations because they concern not merely differences over judicial administration but questions about the functioning and independence of a constitutional court. At the same time, allegations of this nature require scrutiny and cannot substitute for a formal finding against a sitting judge.

Questions Over Sharma's Return To Rajasthan

Justice Mehta also questioned Justice Sharma's repatriation to the Rajasthan High Court in May 2026 and noted that he had been serving as Acting Chief Justice for an unusually long period of 10 months.

He referred to a March 2023 Collegium recommendation that had declined Justice Sharma's request for repatriation and proposed his transfer to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Mehta questioned why Justice Sharma was subsequently permitted to return to the Rajasthan High Court despite observations made in the earlier recommendation.

The questions surrounding his repatriation have added another layer to the dispute, which now involves concerns over judicial administration, case listings and the leadership of the High Court.

CJI Says Allegations Will Be Examined

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, however, has stressed that allegations against a sitting judge must be examined through an established mechanism.

In a press statement, the CJI said the contents of Justice Mehta's letters could not be adjudicated in the public domain and that no conclusion could be reached without giving Justice Sharma an opportunity to be heard.

The allegations made by Justice Mehta, which entered the public domain through media reports, cannot by themselves be treated as findings against Justice Sharma.

The CJI said the issue needed to be examined at an "appropriate level" and that any action concerning the Acting Chief Justice would be taken by the competent authority only after examining the evidence placed by Justice Mehta and Justice Sharma's response.

The CJI subsequently said the Collegium was examining the allegations and that Justice Sharma would be given an opportunity to respond before any conclusion was reached.

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For now, the lawyers' decision to continue their strike until September 6 has intensified the pressure surrounding the Rajasthan High Court. Their demand for Justice Sharma to be divested of his charge and for the appointment of a permanent Chief Justice has brought an internal judicial controversy firmly into public view, even as the formal process of examining the allegations remains under way.

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