New Delhi:
Six Bar heads, including from Gujarat High Court, Kerala High Court, Karnataka High Court, Lucknow Bar Association, Allahabad High Court, have written to the Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna seeking a stay of transfer order of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma, at whose residence a large amount of cash was found.
Later, CJI Khanna met the Bar Associations’ heads in Delhi.
In the letter, the associations have sought accountability and proper investigation into the case pertaining to cash recovery from Varma’s 30, Tughlaq Crescent residence. Further, the letter urges that the report by Delhi High Court Chief Justice of DK Upadhyay be made public and that the accountability of judges be laid down.
The Bar Associations have requested the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court Collegium to withdraw transfer of Justice Varma and to withdraw all administrative work in addition to the judicial work which is already withdrawn.
“The Presidents of the Bar Association will meet at Allahabad in the event of non-withdrawal of the transfer order of Justice Yashwant Varma to show solidarity with the High Court Bar Association of Allahabad,” a joint statement read. The statement comes even as the Allahabad High Court Bar Association is against the transfer of Justice Varma to his parent court after he was de-rostered by the Delhi High Court following a directive from Chief Justice of India.
The three-member in-house committee appointed by the Supreme Court is expected to meet Justice Varma this week. Ahead of the inquiry, he sought legal opinion from senior advocates Siddharth Aggarwal, Maneka Guruswamy, Arundhati Katju and advocate Tara Narula.
The findings of the crucial inquiry will decide the fate of Justice Varma who is facing allegations that “four to five semi-burnt sacks of Indian currency notes” were found at his home following a fire on March 14.
Justice Varma has strongly rejected the allegations and said no cash was ever placed in the storeroom of his house either by him or any of his family members.
