JAIPUR: Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal was on Monday sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, bringing an end to the period of the court functioning under an acting chief justice.
Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade administered the oath of office to Justice Agrawal at a ceremony held at Lok Bhawan in Jaipur. Chief Secretary V Srinivas and other senior officials attended the event.
Justice Agrawal, who earlier served on the Chhattisgarh High Court, was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court following a recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium.
His appointment came amid concerns over the administrative functioning of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and calls from the legal fraternity for the appointment of a full-time chief justice.
Justice Agrawal was appointed an additional judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court in September 2013 and was made a permanent judge in March 2016. Prior to his elevation to the judiciary, he served as the advocate general of Chhattisgarh.
The Supreme Court Collegium had recently recommended his elevation as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
The move followed a communication from Supreme Court Justice Sandeep Mehta to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, in which concerns were raised over the administrative functioning of Justice Sharma and the need for a permanent head for the Rajasthan High Court.
Justice Mehta had raised allegations concerning Justice Sharma’s administrative functioning and sought the appointment of a regular chief justice.
The Jodhpur-based lawyers’ association had also voiced similar concerns and urged authorities to appoint a permanent chief justice for the high court.