In a significant turn of events, the Delhi High Court on Monday withdrew judicial responsibilities from Justice Yashwant Varma with immediate effect, following explosive allegations linked to the reported discovery of a large stash of cash at his official residence.
The decision was formalized through a circular issued by the office of Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, who acted on a recommendation by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna.
“In view of the recent events, the judicial work from Hon’ble Mr Yashwant Varma is withdrawn with immediate effect till further orders,” the circular read.
This move comes just two days after CJI Khanna constituted a three-member in-house inquiry committee to examine the serious allegations arising from the March 14 fire incident at Justice Varma’s residence on Tughlak Road. The committee includes Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice, Punjab & Haryana High Court), Justice GS Sandhawalia (Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge, Karnataka High Court).
According to reports, a fire broke out in the storeroom of Justice Varma’s government bungalow around 11:35 p.m. The blaze was swiftly extinguished by the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), but what followed raised eyebrows across the judicial establishment—responders allegedly discovered a significant amount of cash, some of it partially burnt. Justice Varma and his wife were reportedly in Bhopal at the time.
CJI Khanna’s recommendation for the in-house inquiry followed a report submitted by Chief Justice Upadhyaya, who wrote, “I am of the prima facie opinion that the entire matter warrants a deeper probe.”
On March 20, the Supreme Court collegium had unanimously recommended transferring Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court—his parent court. However, sources indicate that at least two members of the collegium felt that a mere transfer was inadequate. One pressed for his immediate removal from judicial work, while another demanded a formal investigation to uphold institutional credibility.
The developments have reverberated beyond the courtroom. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has sharply criticized the proposed transfer, questioning if their court was being reduced to a “dumping ground” for controversy-tainted judges.
Meanwhile, the issue echoed in Parliament as well. In the Rajya Sabha, Vice President and Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar responded to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh’s concerns about judicial transparency, stating that he would explore structured mechanisms for discussing judicial accountability. His remarks hinted at possibly reviving the debate around the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), which was invalidated by the Supreme Court in 2015.
