The Supreme Court today clarified that the transfer of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court is unrelated to the alleged discovery of a large sum of cash at his official residence. The Court emphasized that an in-house inquiry into the matter is ongoing, following established procedures, and that the transfer decision was made independently of the investigation.
“Inaccurate information and rumors have been circulating about the incident at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence,” the Supreme Court stated in a press note, rejecting any links between the transfer and the alleged cash recovery.
The Court further explained that the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court had already initiated an internal inquiry, gathering evidence related to the incident, and the findings would be submitted to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) today. Justice Varma’s transfer was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium, which includes the CJI and four senior-most judges. Letters were then sent to the consultee judges, the Chief Justices of the relevant High Courts, and to Justice Varma himself. Responses are being reviewed, after which the collegium will issue a final resolution.
The controversy began after reports surfaced that firefighters discovered a large amount of cash in several rooms of Justice Varma’s Delhi residence following a fire. Sources indicated that while Justice Varma was out of town, his family members alerted the fire brigade, which, upon extinguishing the fire, found the cash.
After being informed of the incident, CJI Sanjiv Khanna convened a collegium meeting, and it was unanimously decided to transfer Justice Varma back to the Allahabad High Court, where he had previously served until October 2021.
‘Not a Trash Bin’
However, the transfer sparked opposition from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association, which passed a resolution expressing disapproval. The Bar Association criticized the decision, stating that the Allahabad High Court was “not a trash bin,” and raised concerns about Justice Varma’s return.
“We were taken aback by the Supreme Court’s decision to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma back to Allahabad High Court,” a Bar Association official said.
