The Supreme Court Collegium on Monday confirmed that it had recommended the transfer Justice Yashwant Varma back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. The decision, which was first reported last week, had stirred debate and opposition, particularly from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association.
Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge of the Delhi High Court, has been embroiled in controversy following the discovery of a substantial amount of cash at his residence after a fire incident on March 14.

The Supreme Court has clarified that the transfer proposal is independent of the in-house inquiry initiated by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court regarding the cash discovery.
The Collegium, consisting of the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most judges, examined the transfer proposal on March 20. Letters were then sent to consultee judges, the Chief Justices of the concerned High Courts, and Justice Varma himself, and the responses were examined before a resolution was passed.

‘Not a trash bin’

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association had voiced strong opposition to the transfer, asserting that the Allahabad High Court is “not a trash bin”.
“This decision of SC Collegium raises a serious question,” the bar association said in a letter to CJ Arun Bhansali last week. Linking Justice Varma’s transfer to how judges were being appointed or shifted, the association said Allahabad HC had long suffered a system responsible for “diminishing public faith in the rule of law”.

Removed from judicial duties

In light of the controversy, the Delhi High Court, under Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya, has removed Justice Varma from judicial duties with immediate effect.
This decision followed the formation of a three-member committee by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to investigate the allegations related to the cash found at Justice Varma’s residence.
The committee comprises the chief justices of the Punjab & Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka High Courts.