NEW DELHI: Justice Yashwant Varma has been transferred to the Allahabad High Court amidst an investigation into the discovery of a large sum of cash at his residence in New Delhi. The Law Ministry issued a notification announcing his transfer, following a recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium. This move is separate from an in-house probe ordered by the Supreme Court after cash was found at Justice Varma’s home following a fire incident on the night of Holi.
Chief Justice of India had directed the Delhi High Court to withdraw judicial work from Justice Varma after the incident. An in-house inquiry was initiated by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya, and a proposal to transfer the judge was also put forward. The Supreme Court Collegium formally recommended Justice Varma’s transfer to the Centre after conducting meetings on March 20 and 24, 2025.
A three-member committee was appointed by the Supreme Court to conduct an in-house inquiry into the matter. The committee visited Justice Varma’s residence to begin their investigation. The entire situation has raised questions and concerns, leading to Justice Varma’s transfer back to his parent Allahabad High Court.
Justice Varma has vehemently denied any insinuation and stated that no cash was ever placed at the site, either by him or any of his family members.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the Delhi Police to file a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the alleged discovery of burnt wads of cash from his official residence, deeming the petition premature.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan mentioned that an in-house inquiry was currently underway, and once the probe concludes, the Chief Justice of India will have various options available.
Members of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association have been protesting against the Collegium’s recommendation to transfer Justice Varma back to the Allahabad High Court. The protesting lawyers met with Chief Justice Khanna in Delhi on Thursday.
Additionally, the government has officially announced the transfer of Delhi High Court judge Chandra Dhari Singh to the Allahabad High Court. This move follows the Collegium’s recommendation made in November last year.
Furthermore, Justice Arindam Sinha has been reassigned from the Orissa High Court to the Allahabad High Court. The Supreme Court Collegium had proposed his transfer earlier this month.
