Supreme Court Collegium transfers Delhi HC Judge Justice Yashwant Varma over adverse report

Supreme Court Collegium decides to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court to his parent High Court in Allahabad after an adverse report against him. The SC Collegium, led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna, made the recommendations for his transfer to the Central government.

This decision arose after some media reports suggested that a fire erupted at Justice Varma’s official residence on Tughlak Road, Delhi, while he was absent. Responding firefighters and police, alerted by his family, extinguished the blaze and reportedly found a large amount of unaccounted cash in a room, sparking immediate concern.

The discovery was escalated from senior police to government officials and finally reached CJI Khanna, prompting swift action. On March 20, 2025, the Collegium—comprising CJI Khanna and Justices B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S. Oka, and Vikram Nath—met urgently and unanimously agreed to recommend Varma’s transfer to Allahabad, his original court before joining Delhi.

The move followed an "adverse report" tied to the cash and a video allegedly showing it burning, raising serious questions about judicial integrity.

Justice Varma took oath as a Delhi High Court judge in October 2021, having previously served as an Additional Judge in Allahabad from October 2014 and a Permanent Judge from February 2016. As a senior Delhi High Court Collegium member, he held a key role until this incident.

The Collegium’s decision reflects its intent to uphold public trust, though some members suggested resignation or an inquiry might be warranted, hinting at potential further steps. The exact cash amount remains undisclosed, but the gravity prompted this decisive transfer recommendation to the Central government, marking a significant response to allegations of misconduct in the judiciary.