Justice Yashwant Varma: Delhi High Court Judge in Middle of Cash-In-Home Row
Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma is at the center of a huge row following the discovery of unaccounted money at his bungalow. Supreme Court directs his transfer amid judiciary integrity concerns.
New Delhi:
Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court, has found himself in the midst of severe scrutiny following unexplained money being found at his official residence during the Holi weekend. The find, made by firefighters who had been called to put out a fire at his bungalow, has led to a huge controversy in the judiciary.
Elevated to Delhi High Court in October 2021, Justice Varma had previously worked at the Allahabad High Court, where he joined as an Additional Judge in October 2014 and became a permanent judge in February 2016.
Born on January 6, 1969, in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Justice Varma did his B.Com (Honours) from Delhi University’s Hansraj College and his LL.B. from Rewa University, Madhya Pradesh. He got himself enrolled as an advocate with the Allahabad High Court in August 1992 and later on dealt with cases pertaining to constitutional issues, labour laws, taxation, and company law. He was the Special Counsel of the Allahabad High Court between 2006 and 2014 and subsequently was appointed Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Standing Counsel.
Justice Varma‘s scandal has led the top rungs of the judiciary to act rapidly. The Collegium of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, has directed Justice Varma to be posted back to his parent court at Allahabad for the sake of upholding the integrity of the judiciary. According to sources, the Collegium took a very serious view of the issue so that public trust is not lost.
Justice Varma has not made a statement on the incident and was said to be “on leave” today, with no hearings conducted in his court.
The turn of events has also raised alarm among top legal minds. Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya conceded to being “shaken” by the incident after senior advocate Arun Bhardwaj brought the matter up in court, stressing the importance of administrative measures to maintain judicial standards.
Joining the chorus, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal demanded judicial appointment process reforms, citing long-standing issues of corruption. “The problem of corruption in the judiciary is very serious… the process of appointment should be more transparent and done with care,” Mr. Sibal said, emphasizing the need for systemic reform.
As the probe goes on, the scandal has tainted the judiciary, triggering a wider debate about accountability and transparency in the justice system.
