Fire at Delhi HC judge’s residence uncovers massive unaccounted cash, CJI led collegium transfers him back to Allahabad HC

New Delhi: While Justice Yashwant Varma was out of town, a fire broke out at his residence in Delhi. His family promptly called the fire brigade and the police. After extinguishing the fire, first responders discovered a substantial amount of cash in one of the rooms, raising suspicions of unaccounted money. The recovery was officially recorded, and local police alerted their seniors, who then escalated the matter to higher authorities.

The news soon reached top government officials, who informed Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. Taking the matter seriously, CJI Khanna immediately convened a collegium meeting.

The collegium unanimously decided to transfer Justice Varma back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court, from where he had been elevated to the Delhi High Court in October 2021. However, some members of the five-judge collegium felt that a mere transfer was insufficient, as such a serious incident could tarnish the judiciary’s image and erode public trust.

These members suggested that Justice Varma should be asked to resign, and if he refused, CJI Khanna should initiate an in-house inquiry as the first step toward potential removal through parliamentary proceedings.

Senior Advocate Indira Jaising called for transparency in the case, urging the collegium to immediately disclose the exact amount of cash recovered from Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence. In a tweet, she emphasized that revealing this information is essential to prevent speculation.

“Collegium must immediately disclose the amount of money recovered to stop speculation.” Senior Advocate Indira Jaising tweeted.

SC’s In-House Procedure for Probing Allegations Against Judges

As per the in-house procedure established by the Supreme Court in 1999 to address allegations of corruption, misconduct, or impropriety against constitutional court judges, the Chief Justice of India (CJI), upon receiving a complaint, first seeks the judge’s response.

If the CJI finds the response unsatisfactory or deems the matter serious enough to warrant further investigation, he can constitute an in-house inquiry panel. This panel typically comprises a Supreme Court judge and the chief justices of two High Courts.

Who is Justice Yashwant Varma? Delhi HC Judge Transferred After Cash Found at His Residence

Justice Yashwant Varma was born on January 6, 1969, in Allahabad. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Hansraj College, Delhi University, and later earned his LLB degree from Rewa University, Madhya Pradesh. He enrolled as an advocate on August 8, 1992.

He began his judicial career with his appointment as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on October 13, 2014. He was later sworn in as a Permanent Judge on February 1, 2016. On October 11, 2021, he was transferred to the Delhi High Court.

During his tenure as an advocate at the Allahabad High Court, Justice Varma had a diverse practice, dealing with constitutional law, labor and industrial legislation, corporate matters, taxation, and other related legal areas. He also served as Special Counsel for the Allahabad High Court from 2006 until his elevation to the bench. Additionally, he held the position of Chief Standing Counsel for the state of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to August 2013, before being designated as a Senior Advocate by the court.