Judge Varma transfer: CJI Khanna ensures bar directors consider the need to withdraw university advice

Members of the Bar Association arrived at the Supreme Court on March 27, 2025 to meet with Yashwant Varma Row in New Delhi | Photo source: PTI

Anil Tiwari, president of the Bar Association of Allahabad High Court, said that Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna assured the leaders of the bar association on Thursday (March 27, 2025) that they asked them to withdraw the university’s proposal to transfer the Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma.

In the afternoon, representatives from six bar associations of different High Courts met with justices from CJI and other university members – Br Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath.

Tiwari said after a meeting held by the Supreme Court that they considered the memorandums of the law firms and ensured consideration of their needs.

He said the Allahabad High Court lawyers’ body will reconsider whether to continue the indefinite strike.

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has launched an indefinite strike starting on March 25 to protest the proposed repatriation of Judge Wama to his parents in the High Court.

Earlier in the day, representatives of the Bar Association of High Courts of Allahabad, Gujarat, Kerala, Jabalpur, Karnataka and Lucknow submitted a memorandum to the office of CJI and requested the appointment to meet with Justice Khanna.

Allegedly tampered with evidence was pointed out in Judge Vama’s official residence, and cash burned was allegedly found in the fire incident on March 14, but members questioned the unregistration of FIR in the incident.

In a memorandum, the law firm appreciated the transparency adopted by the CJI and made public the report of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on the Apex Court website.

“The Bar Association requires the Chief Justice and the Committee to withdraw the Yashwant Varma Judicial Justice and withdraw all administrative work except the judicial work that has been withdrawn,” the memorandum said.

The memorandum urged the CJI to bring the memorandum to file a lawsuit in this matter, according to the report of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, and someone removed the articles from the residence of Justice Varma the day after the fire.

“In this type of crime, there will be other people involved, and (FIR) failure to register will have an adverse effect on their prosecution,” it said.

The cash discovery allegedly occurred after a fire broke out at the residence of Justice Varma Lutyens Delhi at about 11.35 pm on March 14, prompting firefighters to arrive at the scene.

After the dispute, the Supreme Court’s university recommended the repatriation of Justice Varma, and the Delhi High Court withdrew his work in the CJI directive, to his parents, Allahabad High Court.

On March 22, the CJI formed a committee of three members to conduct an internal investigation into the allegations and decided to upload an investigation report by Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court DK Upadhyay in the incident.

Judge Varma condemned the allegations and said neither he nor any of his family had deposited any cash in the storage room.