Justice Yashwant Varma may be transferred; Allahabad HC Bar Association demands impeachment

NEW DELHI: In the incident of finding a sacks of currency notes at his official residence, Judge Yashwant Varma has been removed from judicial work in the Delhi High Court. The cases handled by Yashwant Varma have been transferred to other benches. The judge was considering sales tax, GST and company disputes.

Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya took action on the 24th morning on the instructions of Supreme Court Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna. By evening, the Supreme Court Collegium decided to send the controversial judge back to the Allahabad High Court. The file was handed over to the central government for approval. The Supreme Court said that the transfer was discussed and decided in the meeting held on March 20 and 24th. A one-line statement was uploaded on its website. Yashwant Varma, who was appointed as a judge of the Allahabad High Court in October 2014, took charge of the Delhi High Court on October 11, 2021.

Meanwhile, the three-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court has started investigation proceedings. It is indicated that a consultation was held to decide on the investigation topics. The evidence should be examined. The judge should be summoned and heard. The source of the money should be investigated. The statements of employees, security personnel, firefighters and police officers should be taken. An explanation will also be sought in the initial response of the Delhi Fire Services Director that no money was recovered in front of their team.

Centre to seize the opportunity

There are indications that the central government has started considering bringing a new law for the appointment of Supreme Court and High Court judges. The Centre is of the view that it should move forward by taking the opposition into confidence. It is noteworthy that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar met Rajya Sabha leader J.P. Nadda and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge yesterday. It is reported that the new law will follow the footsteps of the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, which was earlier struck down by the Supreme Court.

Seeking impeachment

The Bar Association passed a resolution to impeach Yashwant Varma and sent it to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It demanded a review of the verdicts. There should be CBI and ED investigations. It was pointed out that judges should be beyond suspicion, like Caesar's wife.

"The Chief Justice's action in releasing the pictures and videos related to the Yashwant Varma controversy on the Supreme Court website is a step in the right direction. This is the first time that a Chief Justice has taken such a step to ensure transparency."

- Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President