Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Thursday assured bar leaders that their demand for the withdrawal of the collegium’s recommendation to transfer Delhi High Court’s Justice Yashwant Varma would be considered. This assurance came after representatives from six high court bar associations met with the CJI and other collegium members — Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S Oka, and Vikram Nath.
Concerns raised
The meeting, held at the Supreme Court, revolved around the memorandum submitted by the bar associations. Allahabad High Court Bar Association president Anil Tiwari stated that the demand was assured consideration. Following this, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association is set to reconsider its indefinite strike, ongoing since March 25, in protest against the proposed repatriation of Justice Varma to his parent high court.
Call for transparency
Earlier in the day, bar representatives from the high courts of Allahabad, Gujarat, Kerala, Jabalpur, Karnataka, and Lucknow submitted a memorandum to the CJI. They highlighted concerns regarding the alleged tampering with evidence at Justice Varma’s official residence. Burnt wads of cash were purportedly discovered after a fire incident on March 14, yet no FIR was registered.
The memorandum commended the CJI for embracing transparency by making the report of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and other materials public on the apex court website. The bar associations requested the withdrawal of Justice Varma’s transfer and suspension of his administrative duties.
Call for criminal action
The memorandum urged the CJI to initiate criminal proceedings, citing that, according to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice’s report, the articles were removed from Justice Varma’s residence a day after the fire. It argued that non-registration of an FIR could hinder prosecution.
The alleged cash discovery followed a fire at Justice Varma’s Lutyens Delhi residence on March 14 at 11:35 pm. In response, the apex court collegium recommended Justice Varma’s repatriation to the Allahabad High Court, with administrative work withdrawn per the CJI’s directive.
On March 22, the CJI formed a three-member committee for an in-house inquiry and decided to upload the report by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyay on the court’s website. Justice Varma has refuted the allegations, claiming no cash was kept in the storeroom by him or his family members.
(With PTI inputs)