New Delhi, March 24: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended transferring Justice Yashwant Varma, currently a judge at the Delhi High Court, back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. The Collegium's resolution, made during its meetings on March 20 and 24, 2025, stated, “The Collegium has recommended the repatriation of Justice Yashwant Varma, Judge of the High Court of Delhi, to the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad.”
The decision has sparked objections from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association, which raised concerns regarding the transfer. Justice Varma has been embroiled in controversy following the alleged recovery of a stash of cash from his official residence. Media reports indicate that the discovery occurred after a fire broke out at his house on March 14, when fire tenders reportedly found the cash. At the time, Justice Varma was not at the residence.
In response to the allegations, Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, set up a three-member committee of High Court judges to investigate the matter. The committee includes Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court; Justice GS Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court.
Meanwhile, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Devendra Upadhyaya, has temporarily refrained from assigning any judicial duties to Justice Varma. The Supreme Court has also released the inquiry report prepared by the Delhi High Court's Chief Justice, who expressed a prima facie view that the matter warranted a “deeper probe.” The report also included Justice Varma’s response, in which he denied the allegations, claiming that the entire episode was part of a “conspiracy to frame and malign” him. Justice Varma further asserted that no cash was ever placed in the storeroom in question by him or any family member and strongly refuted suggestions that the money found belonged to them. He clarified that the room where the fire occurred was an outhouse, not the main residence where he and his family live.
