Jodhpur, February 18 The Rajasthan High Court has placed eight judicial officers under "Awaiting Posting Orders" status as a disciplinary measure following a surprise inspection by Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma.
The inspection was conducted at the High Court Heritage Building complex and nearby subordinate courts on Tuesday.
Shortly thereafter, the Registrar General of the High Court issued an order citing administrative reasons and directing that the officers be kept under "Awaiting Posting Orders" (APO) with immediate effect. However, it did not specify detailed reasons.
Sources indicated that some judicial officers were found in their chambers during designated court hours, despite clearly defined schedules separating court time and chamber time for all judges.
This development came on a day when the high court premises at Jhalamand in Jodhpur received a bomb threat via email. As a precautionary measure, the entire court premises were evacuated and court proceedings were delayed, with a notice issued that hearings would begin in the afternoon.
Amid ongoing security checks, Acting Chief Justice Sharma visited the court complex and carried out a surprise inspection of district, metropolitan, and other subordinate courts. During the inspection, several courtrooms were found vacant, and a number of judicial officers were not present at their seats. Taking a serious view of the lapse in discipline and punctuality, the Acting Chief Justice ordered immediate administrative action.
Among the judicial officers placed under APO, District and Sessions Judge Ajay Sharma has been directed to mark his presence at the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur, while the remaining seven officers have been instructed to report to the headquarters of the District and Sessions Judge.