SC Collegium recommends new CJs for Rajasthan, MP, J&K and Chhattisgarh

(Representative Image) As present CJ of Chhattisgarh HC, Justice Ramesh Sinha, is retiring on Sep 4, the Collegium recommended the appointment of Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra as the CJ of ChhattisgarhNEW DELHI: The five-member Supreme Court Collegium led by CJI Surya Kant on Monday recommended the appointment of Justice Sanjay K Agrawal as chief justice of Rajasthan, whose acting chief justice S P Sharma has recused himself from judicial work following allegations regarding his integrity levelled by SC judge Sandeep Mehta.In a fast-paced development, the controversy sparked by Justice Mehta’s three letters within two weeks to CJI Kant seeking appointment of a regular CJ to Rajasthan HC gained momentum with advocates at the HC indulging in sloganeering against the acting CJ, followed by Justice Sharma recusing from judicial work and culminating late evening on Monday by the Collegium recommending Justice Agarwal of Chhattisgarh HC as the CJ of Rajasthan HC.The Collegium, also comprising Justices Vikram Nath, B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh and P S Narasimha, recommended appointment of Justice Alpesh Yeshwant Kogje of Gujarat HC as CJ of Madhya Pradesh HC and Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati of Rajasthan HC as the CJ of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh HC.As the present CJ of Chhattisgarh HC, Justice Ramesh Sinha, is retiring on Sep 4, the Collegium recommended the appointment of Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra as the CJ of Chhattisgarh consequent to the retirement of Justice Sinha.Curiously, the first resolution of the Collegium recommended only the transfer of Justice Sanjay Agrawal to Rajasthan HC without specifying his appointment as its CJ, which was specified in the subsequent resolution uploaded on the SC website shortly thereafter. Justice Sharma, who has been at the eye of a storm created by letters from Justice Mehta to the CJI, is scheduled to retire on Sep 26.