The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has strongly opposed the Supreme Court collegium’s decision to transfer Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court, following reports of ₹15 crore in unaccounted cash discovered at his official residence. In a fiery resolution signed by association president and senior advocate Anil Tiwari, the Bar called the transfer an insult, stating, “Are we a trash bin?”
The association expressed shock at the decision and highlighted the existing struggles of the Allahabad High Court, including a severe shortage of judges leading to pending cases and public distrust in the justice system. “We are not ready to accept corruption,” the resolution declared, criticizing the move as an attempt to dump questionable appointments onto their court.
The Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, reportedly initiated the transfer after taking cognizance of the incident and has begun a preliminary inquiry by seeking a report from the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Further action is expected.
Justice Varma, aged 56, originally from Allahabad, did not hold court on Friday. His career includes serving as the special counsel for the Allahabad High Court and chief standing counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government before becoming a permanent judge in 2016.
However, the massive cash recovery from his residence has cast a long shadow over his judicial integrity, sparking a rare and public backlash from his home court, which refuses to be turned into what it calls a “dumping ground for corrupt judges.”
