Cash row: Bar bodies meet CJI Sanjiv Khanna against Justice Yashwant Varma’s transfer to Allahabad HC

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Thursday met bar leaders to discuss proposed transfer of Delhi HC judge Yashwant Varma to Allahabad HC after the recovery a huge stack of Indian currency from his residence. In the meeting, multiple bar associations opposed the Supreme Court collegium’s decision to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court. They sought the collegium to withdraw its recommendation for the transfer, according to the reports.

The representatives of six bar associations of different high courts met the CJI and other collegium members – Justices BR Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath – On March 27 afternoon.

Meanwhile, CJI Sanjiv Khanna has assured bar leaders that their demand to withdraw the collegium's recommendation for transferring Yashwant Varma will be considered, according to Allahabad High Court Bar Association president Anil Tiwari.

Also Read | Judicial work withdrawn from Justice Yashwant Varma, says Delhi High Court

The alleged cash discovery happened following a fire at Justice Yashwant Varma's Lutyens Delhi residence at around 11.35 pm on March 14, prompting the fire officers to rush to the spot. Justice Varma has rejected the allegations and said no cash was ever placed in the storeroom either by him or any of his family members.

On March 22, CJI Sanjiv Khanna constituted the three-member committee to conduct an in-house inquiry into allegations and decided to upload the inquiry report of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay of the Delhi High Court in the incident.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had clarified that the collegium action to transfer Yashwant Varma was not linked to the case.

Terming it a case of “misinformation”, the Supreme Court said the proposal for Justice Varma's transfer to Allahabad High Court was “independent and separate from in-house enquiry procedure.”

(With agency inputs)