SC collegium seeks repatriation of cash-at-home row judge Yashwant Varma

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the repatriation of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court, amid serious allegations involving the alleged discovery of large sums of cash at his official residence, reported Bar and Bench.

 

The collegium’s decision, made during meetings on March 20 and March 24, follows a fire incident at Justice Varma’s residence on Tughlak Road, which allegedly led firefighters to uncover piles of cash, some reportedly charred. Justice Varma and his wife were reportedly in Bhopal at the time of the incident, which occurred around 11:35 pm on March 14.

 

“The Supreme Court Collegium in its meetings held on March 20 and 24, 2025 has recommended repatriation of Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma, Judge, High Court of Delhi, to the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad,” read a statement published on the Supreme Court website.

 

Judicial duties withdrawn

 

Amid mounting concerns, Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay on Monday withdrew Justice Varma from all judicial work with immediate effect. “In view of the recent events, the judicial work from Hon’ble Yashwant Varma is withdrawn with immediate effect till further orders,” a circular from the Delhi High Court stated.

 

Justice Varma’s caseload, which included sales tax and GST matters, has now been reassigned to a bench comprising Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, effective from Tuesday.

 

Supreme Court orders in-house inquiry

 

The move to strip Justice Varma of judicial responsibilities came after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday formed a three-member in-house inquiry committee to investigate the matter. The panel 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.

 

The formation of the panel follows a recommendation by Chief Justice Upadhyay for a deeper probe. In his report to the Supreme Court, Justice Upadhyay stated, “I am of the prima facie opinion that the entire matter warrants a deeper probe.”

 

While the collegium unanimously supported transferring Justice Varma, sources indicate that at least two members voiced that transfer alone was insufficient. One advocated for immediate withdrawal of judicial work, while another demanded a formal investigation to maintain institutional integrity.

 

Legal and political reactions

 

The decision has triggered strong reactions. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has opposed Justice Varma’s transfer, questioning whether the Allahabad High Court was being used as a “dumping ground” for controversial judges.

 

The controversy has also echoed in Parliament. On March 21, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar responded to a call from Congress MP Jairam Ramesh for enhanced judicial accountability. Dhankhar said he would explore structured discussions on judicial transparency and hinted at reviving the debate around the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015.

 

(With agency inputs)