Key Takeaways
- The Supreme Court Collegium recommends transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad HC amidst controversy over unaccounted cash at his official residence.
- The CJI can seek an explanation from the judge, form an inquiry panel, or initiate removal through parliamentary proceedings.
- The in-house procedure established by the Supreme Court in 1999 aims to address allegations of misconduct against judges.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, has recommended the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma from the Delhi High Court to his parent High Court in Allahabad.
This decision follows an alleged report against him, which has sent ripples through judicial circles.
Justice Varma, who was appointed as a judge of Delhi High Court in October 2021, has been at the centre of controversy following a shocking incident involving a fire at his official residence.
The blaze led to the alleged discovery of a significant sum of cash, which was subsequently documented by officials.
According to reports, Justice Varma was not in town when the fire broke out.
His family members contacted the fire brigade and police, and after the flames were extinguished, authorities allegedly discovered a large amount of unaccounted cash inside a room.
The local police promptly informed their superiors, who escalated the matter to top government officials. The revelation ultimately reached CJI Khanna, who took a grave view of the situation and convened a meeting of the Supreme Court Collegium.
The Collegium unanimously decided that Justice Varma should be transferred without delay.
While some members of the five-judge Collegium believed a transfer was sufficient, others raised concerns that merely shifting him to another High Court could damage the judiciary’s reputation and public trust. They argued that Justice Varma should be asked to resign and, if he refused, an in-house inquiry should be initiated as a precursor to possible removal through parliamentary proceedings.
According to the in-house procedure established by the Supreme Court in 1999 to address allegations of misconduct against judges, the CJI is authorized to seek an explanation from the judge in question. If the response is unsatisfactory or if a deeper investigation is deemed necessary, the CJI can form an inquiry panel comprising a Supreme Court judge and the chief justices of two High Courts.
Meanwhile, amid reports of his impending transfer, Justice Yashwant Varma was on leave today. His absence was officially announced by his staff in court this morning.
