Justice Sanjay K Agrawal has been appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court, following the retirement of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha.
The Central government issued the notification under Article 223 of the Constitution, authorising Justice Agrawal to perform the duties of the Chief Justice after Justice Sinha demitted office on September 4.
Justice Agrawal has been part of the Chhattisgarh High Court for more than a decade. He was elevated as an additional judge in September 2013 and was made a permanent judge in March 2016. Before joining the Bench, he served as the Advocate General of Chhattisgarh.
His appointment as Acting Chief Justice comes at a significant moment in his judicial career. The Supreme Court Collegium had recently recommended his name for appointment as the next Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
That recommendation emerged amid developments surrounding the administration of the Rajasthan High Court. The Collegium had proposed Justice Agrawal’s transfer from Chhattisgarh to Rajasthan, where he was recommended to take over as Chief Justice. The proposal, however, is still awaiting clearance from the Central government.
The Rajasthan High Court has recently been at the centre of an administrative dispute involving Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma. Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta had raised concerns over the exercise of administrative powers and the listing of cases, while Justice Sharma rejected the allegations and attributed them to personal animosity. Justice Sharma subsequently chose to step away from judicial work for the time being.
With the Rajasthan proposal still pending, Justice Agrawal will, for now, discharge the responsibilities of Acting Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court.
