Who is Justice Yashwant Varma? Delhi HC judge under scanner after fire at his home unearthed huge cash

Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court is set to be transferred back to the Allahabad High Court, according to sources quoted by NDTV on Friday. The decision was taken by the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, following the discovery of a substantial amount of cash at Justice Varma’s official residence last week.

The incident came to light after a fire broke out at his government bungalow during Holi celebrations on March 14. Family members, who were present at the time, alerted emergency services, prompting both fire and police personnel to reach the spot. According to NDTV, a large stash of cash was found in one of the rooms after the fire was brought under control. A Times of India report noted that Justice Varma was not in Delhi at the time of the incident.

As the matter reached senior levels within the judiciary and government, the Supreme Court Collegium unanimously decided to shift Justice Varma back to his parent High Court in Allahabad. He had earlier served there before being transferred to the Delhi High Court in October 2021.

Who is Justice Yashwant Varma?

Born on January 6, 1969, in Allahabad, Justice Yashwant Varma pursued a B.Com (Honours) degree at Hansraj College, Delhi University. He later obtained an LLB from Rewa University in Madhya Pradesh and enrolled as an advocate on August 8, 1992.

Justice Varma began his judicial career as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on October 13, 2014. He was confirmed as a Permanent Judge on February 1, 2016, and was later transferred to the Delhi High Court on October 11, 2021.

Before his elevation to the bench, Justice Varma had an extensive practice at the Allahabad High Court, dealing with constitutional, labour, industrial, corporate, and taxation laws. He also served as the Special Counsel for the Allahabad High Court from 2006 until his elevation and held the post of Chief Standing Counsel for the state of Uttar Pradesh between 2012 and August 2013. In the same year, he was designated as a Senior Advocate.