Supreme Court Collegium Recommends New Chief Justices for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and J&K High Courts

Supreme Court Collegium Recommends New Chief Justices for Three High Courts

The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, on Monday (August 31, 2026) recommended the appointment of new Chief Justices for the High Courts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

According to the Collegium's resolutions, Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal, a judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court, has been recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje of the Gujarat High Court has been suggested for the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati, a senior judge of the Rajasthan High Court, has been recommended for the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The recommendation for Rajasthan comes days after letters written by serving Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta, complaining of the conduct of Rajasthan Acting Chief Justice P. Sharma, became public. In a series of three letters in August, Justice Mehta accused Justice Sharma of "favouritism" and misconduct. The Supreme Court judge highlighted that his entreaties to Chief Justice Kant to transfer Justice Sharma out of Rajasthan failed to evoke any response. Justice Mehta had sought a regular Chief Justice for the Rajasthan High Court, noting that Justice Sharma had been Acting Chief Justice for the past 10 months.

On the same day the letters became public, Chief Justice Kant issued a press statement saying that the Collegium would consider Justice Mehta's allegations through an institutional mechanism.

In a separate resolution, the Collegium recommended the immediate transfer of Justice Agrawal to the Rajasthan High Court, pending his appointment as its Chief Justice. The Collegium also recommended, in a meeting held on August 6, the appointment of Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra, a judge of the High Court of Orissa, as Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court, following the retirement of the incumbent on September 4, 2026.

Justice Bhati, who is currently serving as a judge of the Rajasthan High Court, was elevated to the Bench on November 16, 2016. His elevation comes at a time when the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is functioning under an Acting Chief Justice. His areas of specialization include Writ Jurisdiction (Service & ), Revenue, Election, Mining, Education, Panchayati Raj, Criminal, and Miscellaneous matters, including Public Interest Litigation.

Before his elevation, Justice Bhati served as Additional Advocate General for the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur from 13.10.2008 to 29.12.2008 and from 06.01.2014 until his appointment as a judge. He was also a Panel Lawyer for the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation, Labour Department (Government of Rajasthan), and Ayurved Department (Government of Rajasthan). Additionally, he represented the Reserve Bank of India, Jai Narain Vyas University (Jodhpur), and several other bodies, and served as Standing Counsel for the Indian Railways for 16 years.

Justice Bhati was elected as a Member of the Bar Council of Rajasthan from 2009 to 2015, President of the Rajasthan High Court Lawyers Association from 2011 to 2013, and General Secretary of the Rajasthan High Court Advocates Association in 2001. He was a Visiting Faculty member at his alma mater, the Faculty of Law at Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, for 19 years (1997 to 2016) and at National Law University, Jodhpur, for one year. He is a Member of the Executive Committee of the Indian Law Institute (Rajasthan Chapter) and has been a Member of the Supreme Court Bar Association since 1992. He is also an accomplished horse rider, swimmer, shooter, solo glider pilot, and parasailor, having participated in numerous adventure activities with the NCC.