In light of the discovery of a significant sum of cash at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma, several bar associations across India have appealed to the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, for stern measures. The bar associations from Allahabad, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, and Lucknow have collectively urged the withdrawal of Justice Varma’s recent transfer and cessation of all his administrative responsibilities, furthering the suspension of his judicial duties.
The unified statement issued by these associations commended CJI Khanna’s initiative for transparency, particularly his decision to make public the investigatory reports from the Delhi High Court’s Chief Justice. However, they expressed deep concern over the preservation of evidence, stating, “The criminal law should have been set in motion immediately as it would for any government servant. Unfortunately, evidence was allowed to be tampered with or destroyed, which compromises the prosecution of any co-conspirators involved.”
In addition to the calls for Justice Varma’s case reassessment, the associations have suggested a thorough review of the accountability standards for judges within the higher judiciary. They referenced the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, 2002, which mandate judges to conduct themselves in ways that uphold and enhance public confidence in the judiciary’s impartiality and independence.
The statement also included a warning of a potential assembly of the association presidents in Allahabad to show support for the High Court Bar Association of Allahabad if the transfer order of Justice Varma is not rescinded.
To address these concerns, last week, Chief Justice Khanna formed a three-member committee for an exhaustive inquiry into the allegations against Justice Varma. The committee includes Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana; Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh; and Anu Sivaraman, a judge of the High Court of Karnataka.
The incident itself occurred on Holi when a fire outbreak at Justice Varma’s official residence led to the unexpected discovery of the cash by first responders, although Justice Varma was not present at the home during the incident.
