‘Cash at judge’s home’ row: Justice Varma sworn in at Allahabad HC
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Allahabad: Justice Yashwant Varma was sworn in as a judge of the Allahabad High Court on Saturday, taking oath in a private chamber, shortly after the controversial “cash at home” incident surfaced in New Delhi. For now, he will not be assigned any judicial responsibilities.
His transfer from the Delhi High Court to Allahabad was cleared by the Central government on March 28, amid an ongoing in-house investigation.
Justice Varma found himself at the centre of controversy after a large amount of burnt cash was allegedly discovered in the storeroom attached to his official residence in the national capital. The fire brigade had arrived at the location on March 14 to extinguish a blaze when the cash was reportedly found.
Following the incident, Justice Varma denied any wrongdoing. Investigators subsequently collected the burnt currency from the scene, sent video footage of the firefighting operation for forensic analysis, and instructed Justice Varma and his staff to preserve their mobile phones and call records.
At the time of the transfer, Justice Varma was the second senior-most judge of the Delhi High Court and had already been relieved of judicial duties. His relocation to Uttar Pradesh proceeded despite opposition from bar associations in both Lucknow and Allahabad.
A notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice on his transfer stated: “In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma, Judge, Delhi High Court, to be a Judge of Allahabad High Court.”
The notification came just days after the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, recommended Justice Varma’s repatriation to the Allahabad High Court.
Last week, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition that sought the registration of an FIR against Justice Varma, deeming the plea “premature.”
Previously, a statement published on the Supreme Court's official website had noted: “The Supreme Court Collegium in its meetings held on 20th and 24th March 2025 has recommended repatriation of Justice Yashwant Varma, Judge, High Court of Delhi, to the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad.”
While Justice Varma continues to deny any misconduct, CJI Khanna formed a three-member committee in the last week of March to investigate the “cash at home” episode.
The Supreme Court also clarified that the transfer of Justice Varma to his parent High Court at Allahabad—where he will rank ninth in seniority—is “independent and separate from the in-house enquiry procedure.”
With IANS inputs
