Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal Appointed Acting Chief Justice, Chhattisgarh High Court

Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal, a judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court, has been appointed to perform the duties of the office of Chief Justice, effective from the retirement of Justice Ramesh Sinha on September 4, 2026.

The Chief Justice of a state High Court heads the roster for case allocation, administrative supervision of subordinate courts, and represents the institution in matters concerning judicial infrastructure and appointments. An acting arrangement is typically notified by the Union Law Ministry to prevent any gap between a retiring Chief Justice's departure and the arrival of a permanent successor.

Justice Agrawal has served on the Chhattisgarh High Court bench for several years, hearing matters across civil, criminal and constitutional jurisdictions. His elevation to the acting post reflects his standing as one of the senior-most judges on a High Court that was carved out of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2000 and has a sanctioned strength considerably smaller than larger state courts.

Justice Ramesh Sinha, who demitted office as Chief Justice on September 4, had headed the Chhattisgarh High Court through a period that included expansion of digital case-filing infrastructure and efforts to reduce pendency in the state's subordinate judiciary.

Acting Chief Justice appointments are a routine feature of the collegium and Law Ministry process, filling the gap until the Supreme Court collegium recommends and the President appoints a permanent Chief Justice, who is typically transferred in from another High Court under the convention followed for the post.

The Chhattisgarh High Court carries a substantial pendency of land-acquisition, mining-lease and Naxal-affected-area litigation given the state's mineral economy, meaning administrative continuity at the top matters for case management even during a short acting tenure.

Justice Agrawal will hold the acting charge until a permanent Chief Justice is appointed, as per the notification issued following Justice Sinha's retirement.