Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna held a meeting with representatives of several bar bodies on Thursday to discuss the proposed transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court. The CJI assured the bar leaders that their demand for withdrawal of the collegium’s recommendation would be considered.
The meeting was prompted by a memorandum submitted by bar associations from the high courts of Allahabad, Gujarat, Kerala, Jabalpur, Karnataka, and Lucknow, which urged the withdrawal of the collegium's transfer recommendation.
Sources told news agency PTI that the CJI's office called the representatives of the bar bodies for a meeting with Justice Khanna at around 1.45 pm. They met Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath as well, apart from the CJI.
The bar associations have raised concerns about alleged tampering of evidence at Justice Varma's official residence. On March 14, during a fire incident at his Lutyens Delhi home, burnt wads of cash were purportedly discovered. Questions have arisen regarding the non-registration of a First Information Report (FIR) concerning the incident, adding to the contentious nature of the proposed transfer.
The controversy has spurred the Allahabad High Court Bar Association to initiate an indefinite strike beginning March 25.
In response to the ongoing situation, the Supreme Court collegium recommended Justice Varma's repatriation to his parent Allahabad High Court. This recommendation came after his workload was reassigned following a directive from the CJI.
In addition, a three-member committee was constituted on March 22 to conduct an in-house inquiry into the allegations. An inquiry report by Chief Justice D K Upadhyay of the Delhi High Court is expected to be made public following the investigation.
Justice Varma has publicly denied the allegations against him, stating, "No cash was ever placed in the storeroom either by him or any of his family members." The inquiry aims to address these allegations and provide clarity on the matter.