Jodhpur, Sept. 1 -- The standoff between lawyers and the Rajasthan High Court administration deepened on Monday, with two prominent bar associations at the court's principal seat in Jodhpur announcing a boycott of judicial work until September 6. The decision came amid controversy over three letters reportedly written by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), questioning the functioning of Rajasthan High Court acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma. The Rajasthan High Court Advocates' Association and the Rajasthan High Court Lawyers' Association took the decision at a joint emergency meeting in Jodhpur. The associations said the letters raised serious concerns over the acting Chief Justice's judicial and administrative functioning. Citing media reports, the lawyers said allegations of misuse of administrative powers, interference in case listings, favouritism and administrative mismanagement had been raised. The allegations have not been adjudicated. The associations maintained that their protest was not directed against any individual but aimed at protecting the dignity and independence of the judiciary and preserving public confidence in the institution. They decided to submit a memorandum to the President, Prime Minister, CJI and senior judges of the Supreme Court Collegium, seeking that the acting Chief Justice be kept away from judicial and administrative duties. They also demanded the appointment of a permanent Chief Justice to the Rajasthan High Court and discontinuation of the targeted file system across the state. The associations said lawyers would voluntarily refrain from appearing, physically or virtually, before all courts until September 6. A struggle committee will be constituted to decide the future course of action, while other bar associations across Rajasthan will be approached to join the protest, they said. The development came as a group of lawyers at the Jaipur Bench also staged a protest and raised slogans against the acting Chief Justice. Proceedings in his courtroom were affected. Rajeev Sograwal, president of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association, Jaipur, called for an impartial investigation by the CJI into the allegations and said facts concerning the issues reported in the media should be made public. "Until the actual position is clarified, doubts will persist among people about the judiciary, which is not in the interest of an institution such as the High Court," Sograwal said. He added that the uncertainty surrounding the matter had caused resentment among several lawyers, prompting some to protest. The Jodhpur associations described the situation as extraordinary in Rajasthan's judicial history and said the credibility of the justice delivery system depended on transparency, fairness and public trust. They reiterated that the bar's objective was to protect the institution rather than campaign against any particular judge....