NEW DELHI, Aug. 31 -- The Supreme Court collegium on Monday evening recommended Chhattisgarh High Court judge Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as the full-time chief justice of the Rajasthan High Court, a move that comes amid an escalating controversy over allegations of "corruption", "nepotism" and "favouritism" levelled against the high court's acting chief justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta.

The recommendation came on a day Justice Sharma opted out of judicial work until September 5, as lawyers in Jaipur and Jodhpur stepped up protests demanding that he be removed as acting chief justice and a regular chief justice appointed.

The collegium comprised Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Vikram Na...