New Delhi: Notwithstanding the inquiry held against him on discovery of cash at his residence, Justice Yashwant Varma on Saturday took oath as a judge of Allahabad High Court in a low-key private event. The move comes after the central government gave clearance to the judge’s transfer from Delhi to Allahbad High Court despite opposition from lawyers’ association in Uttar Pradesh.
Nevertheless, Yashwant Varma won’t be assigned any judicial work at the moment given that an inquiry is being held for cash recovered at his residence, where a fire broke out on March 14. The firefighters found a large number of cash notes, some of them were even burnt.
According to a Bar and Bench report, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has asked the Allahbad High Court’s Chief Justice (Mr. Arun Bhansali) to not assign Justice Varma with any kind of judicial work until the in-house inquiry is concluded.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before the Lucknow bench of the Allahbad High Court on Wednesday to prevent the oath-taking ceremony. It was advocate Vikash Chaturvedi who filed the PIL as he wanted the inquiry to first come to a conclusion.
A huge bundle of partially burnt notes was recovered after the blaze took place at Justice Varma’s house in Delhi. It should be noted that the judge and his wife were not present at the time of the fire incident was reported on the aforementioned date. This episode led to allegations of corruption against Justice Varma.
On March 21, CJI Khanna set up an in-house probe with three High Court Judges were tasked to look after the matter. The three-member committee of judges on Friday (April 4) recorded the statements of Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP – New Delhi district) Devesh Kumar Mahala at the Haryana state guest house in Chanakyapuri.
