The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court to work at the Allahabad High Court. This decision was taken after discovering unexplained cash at his home during a fire on March 14, 2025. His transfer proposal now awaits final approval from the central government after the recommendation reached the governing body from the Supreme Court Collegium. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) expressed their disapproval of this transfer by questioning whether the Allahabad High Court functioned as a “trash bin” for handling such issues.
Justice Verma Denied the Involvement
Justice Varma’s recommendation came after firefighters discovered cash inside the burnt storeroom of his official Delhi residence on March 14. The first responders discovered cash stacks in a storeroom storage area where burned money samples were discovered. Justice Varma together with his wife were staying in Bhopal when the event happened. Justice Varma vehemently denied associating with the money while asserting through his statement, “Neither I nor my family own the cash.” Justice Varma believes the discovery is linked to an overall scheme that seeks to damage his professional credibility.
The Supreme Court Collegium had previously discussed the transfer and issued a formal resolution on March 20, which was sent to the government on March 24. However, the Collegium did not overlook the concerns raised about the matter. In fact, some members suggested an immediate in-house inquiry into the incident, with one even recommending that Justice Varma be stripped of his judicial duties temporarily. To address the issue comprehensively, the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, constituted a three-member committee to conduct an inquiry.
Justice Verma and his Transfers
Justice Varma, who was appointed to the Allahabad High Court in 2016, was transferred to the Delhi High Court in 2021. Before his elevation, he had served as standing counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government.
