The Rajasthan High Court Lawyers Association has initiated a full-scale strike, set to continue until Sunday, September 6. The protest is in response to their demand for the removal of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma from his duties, and the appointment of a permanent Chief Justice to the High Court.
This decision was reached during a general assembly meeting held on Monday. Dilip Singh Udawat, the President of the Association, announced the strike following the session. He stated, “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.”
The strike follows earlier demonstrations by advocates at both benches of the High Court. Protests were directed against Justice Sharma, with police intervention needed to disperse the crowd at the Jaipur premises. Footage from the scene showed lawyers chanting slogans such as “Gali gali mein shor hai, humara mukhiya chor hai,” which translates to “The word on the street is that our chief is a thief.”
The controversy surrounding Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma is heightened by recent developments. Justice Sandeep Mehta of the Supreme Court has sent letters to the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, alleging that Justice Sharma has been involved in manipulating case listings and misusing his administrative powers. Justice Mehta has urged the appointment of a Chief Justice from another state to lead the Rajasthan High Court “with immediate effect.”
In response to these allegations, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has stated in a press release that the Collegium is currently examining the claims. Justice Sharma will be given the opportunity to respond to the accusations before any final decisions are made.
