The Supreme Court Collegium has officially recommended the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court, his parent court. This decision, made on March 20 and 24, 2025, comes amidst an ongoing inquiry into allegations surrounding a large amount of cash found at Justice Varma’s residence following a fire incident.
Background of the Transfer
Justice Varma, who is the second senior-most judge in the Delhi High Court and a member of the Collegium, will be ranked ninth in seniority at the Allahabad High Court. The Collegium’s resolution did not provide specific reasons for the transfer, leading to speculation and misinformation regarding its timing and implications. The Supreme Court emphasized that this transfer is independent of the in-house inquiry initiated by the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court concerning the cash discovery.
Details of the Incident
The controversy began when firefighters discovered unaccounted cash—reportedly around ₹15 crore—at Justice Varma’s residence during a fire on March 14, 2025. The judge was reportedly out of town at the time, and family members had alerted authorities about the fire. The Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, convened a meeting to discuss these developments shortly after learning about the incident.
As of now, Justice Varma has been stripped of all judicial duties pending further investigation into the cash allegations. The Delhi High Court has issued a circular confirming this withdrawal of responsibilities until further
