Independent of probe into cash row: Top Court on High Court judge’s transfer
The Supreme Court today clarified that the transfer of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court is not connected to the alleged recovery of a large stash of cash from his official residence.
The top court emphasised that an in-house inquiry into the matter is being conducted as per established procedures and that the transfer decision was independent of the ongoing investigation.
“There is misinformation and rumours being spread regarding the incident at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma,” the Supreme Court said in a press note, dismissing speculations linking his transfer to the discovery of cash.
It further stated that the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court had already initiated an in-house inquiry, gathering evidence and information related to the incident. The findings of this inquiry are expected to be submitted to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) today.
Justice Varma’s transfer was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium, comprising the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most judges. Following this, letters were sent to consultee judges of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justices of the concerned High Courts, and Justice Varma himself. The responses are currently being examined, after which the collegium will pass a resolution on the matter.
The controversy erupted after reports surfaced that firefighters discovered a large amount of cash in different rooms of Justice Varma’s Delhi residence following a fire. Sources said that while Justice Varma was out of town, his family members alerted the fire brigade, which, upon extinguishing the blaze, reportedly found the cash.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna convened a collegium meeting. 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’
The transfer decision, however, sparked resistance from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association, which passed a resolution opposing it. Expressing strong disapproval, the Bar Association stated that the Allahabad High Court was “not a trash bin” and voiced concerns over Justice Varma’s relocation.
“We were taken aback that the Supreme Court has transferred Justice Yashwant Varma back to the Allahabad High Court,” a Bar official told PTI.