Justice Varma cash recovery row: SC collegium recommends his transfer to Allahabad HC

A view of the Supreme Court of India.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Supreme Court Collegium on Monday (March 24, 2025) recommended the transfer of senior Delhi High Court Judge, Justice Yashwant Varma, who is at the centre of a controversy following discovery of a large sum of burnt currency at his official residence in Delhi, to Allahabad High Court.

The Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya, too, had been of the prima facie opinion that the judge ought to be shifted out of the Capital in the interest of “better administration of justice”.

The Collegium’s recommendation to move the judge has come despite a statement issued by the Allahabad High Court Bar Association objecting to Justice Varma’s transfer, going to the extent of saying that the high court was not a “trash bin”.

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The Allahabad High Court Bar Association had threatened to go desist from work sine die if the transfer happened.

The Supreme Court Collegium, in its resolution on Monday, said they had met twice on March 20 and March 24 to decide on the repatriation of Justice Varma to Allahabad High Court.

Earlier today, the Delhi High Court issued a circular announcing that all judicial work from Justice Varma has been withdrawn till further orders.

Another note attached to the causelist of the day on the high court’s website said the court master of division bench-III, which was headed by Justice Varma, would assign dates in matters listed before Monday.

“In view of the recent events, the judicial work from Justice Yashwant Varma is withdrawn with immediate effect, till further orders,” the note, with the registrar (listing) as the signatory, said.

The note was issued by the registrar following a notice of Delhi High Chief Justice.