Who is Justice Yashwant Varma? Delhi HC judge to be transferred after fire leads to unaccounted cash find at home

The Supreme Court Collegium has decided to transfer Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma back to his parent Allahabad High Court following an adverse report regarding the recovery of unaccounted cash at his official residence. The incident came to light after a major fire broke out at his Delhi bungalow over the Holi weekend.

A senior lawyer appearing in the Delhi High Court on Friday expressed "shock and pain" over the alleged discovery of cash at Justice Varma's residence. The lawyer stated that many in the legal community were "shaken" by the development. Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya acknowledged the concern, stating, "So is everybody. We are conscious," as reported by PTI.

Who is Justice Yashwant Varma?

Justice Yashwant Varma was appointed to the Delhi High Court in October 2021 after serving at the Allahabad High Court since 2014. Prior to his judicial career, he was enrolled as an advocate in August 1992 and handled cases related to constitutional law, labour disputes, and corporate taxation. He was also the Special Counsel for the Allahabad High Court and later served as Uttar Pradesh's Chief Standing Counsel.

Born on January 6, 1969, in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Justice Varma pursued his B.Com (Honours) at Delhi University’s Hansraj College and completed his LLB from Rewa University in Madhya Pradesh.

Supreme Court's response to controversy

The controversy erupted on the day of Holi (March 14) after firefighters who came to extinguish the fire recovered an unaccounted-for cash pile at Justice Varma’s residence. The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, took a serious view of the matter and decided to transfer him back to the Allahabad High Court to safeguard the judiciary's integrity. Sources stated that the Collegium sought prompt action to prevent damage to the institution’s reputation.

Justice Varma has not publicly responded to the controversy and did not preside over court proceedings on Friday. Court officials informed PTI that the judge is "on leave," and urgent matters from his division bench were directed to another bench.

Delhi High Court Judges express concern
  
During court proceedings, senior advocate Arun Bhardwaj brought up the issue before a bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, urging administrative measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. "Today's incident has pained many of us. We respect the system a lot, and each judge is held in high regard. We are shaken, my lords, and demoralised. Please take steps to prevent such incidents," Bhardwaj stated.

The Chief Justice acknowledged the concerns, stating, "Yes, everyone has been shaken and demoralised."

Kapil Sibal calls for reform in judicial appointments

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal commented on the incident, urging the Supreme Court to re-evaluate the judicial appointment process. "The issue of corruption within the judiciary is very serious. This is not the first time senior lawyers have raised this concern. The appointment process should be more transparent and carefully executed," Sibal stated in a video message.

#WATCH | Delhi | On the Supreme Court Collegium recommending transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court to his parent High Court in Allahabad after an adverse report against him, Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal says, "...The issue of corruption… pic.twitter.com/hPQPqeT57t

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025

He further remarked, "Despite what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, corruption has increased. It is crucial to address this issue to maintain public confidence in the judiciary."