Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has said that he will consider the Bar leaders’ demand from various Bar associations to withdraw the collegium’s recommendation to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma from the Delhi High Court, informed president of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association Anil Tiwari on Thursday.
An assembly of representatives from six different High Court Bar associations convened with the CJI and other Collegium members, including Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S Oka, and Vikram Nath, in the afternoon.
Following discussions on the Bar associations’ memorandum, Tiwari indicated that they would reconsider their decision on the ongoing indefinite strike, which commenced on March 25 in protest of Justice Varma’s proposed return to his original posting at the Allahabad High Court.
The day began with Bar representatives from High Courts across Allahabad, Gujarat, Kerala, Jabalpur, Karnataka, and Lucknow submitting a memorandum to the CJI’s office and requesting a meeting with Justice Khanna.
The situation surrounding Justice Varma includes allegations of cash found at his residence following a fire on March 14, which led to concerns about tampering with evidence. The members of the Bar associations have expressed their dissatisfaction over the lack of an FIR regarding this incident.
In their memorandum, the Bar associations commended the CJI for taking steps towards transparency, including making the report from the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court available on the apex court’s website. They called for the withdrawal of Justice Varma’s transfer and the reinstatement of all administrative tasks that had been removed.
The memorandum urged the CJI to initiate criminal proceedings, citing concerns that articles were removed from Justice Varma’s residence a day after the fire. They emphasized that failure to register an FIR could hinder the prosecution of any potential accomplices.
This cash discovery incident transpired during a fire at Justice Varma’s Lutyens Delhi residence, which prompted a swift response from fire services. As a result of the controversy, the Supreme Court collegium recommended Justice Varma’s transfer back to the Allahabad High Court, withdrawing his duties following a directive from the CJI.
On March 22, the CJI established a three-member committee to conduct an internal inquiry into the allegations, with plans to publish the findings from Chief Justice D K Upadhyay of the Delhi High Court. Justice Varma firmly denies the allegations, asserting that neither he nor his family members placed any cash in the storeroom.