Who is Justice Yashwant Varma, the Delhi HC judge transferred by SC collegium amid cash recovery row

Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.

A large amount of unaccounted cash was recovered from Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma's official bungalow after a fire broke out last week. Taking prompt action, the Supreme Court collegium - led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna - initiated an in-house inquiry.

The large stash of cash was found by the first responders after the fire was doused. Reportedly, Justice Varma was not in town when the incident took place.

The Supreme Court Collegium also proposed the transfer of Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court, his parent High Court, but clarified later that it was independent and separate from in-house enquiry procedure.

Meanwhile, the judge in question was absent from court on Friday. His court staff revealed in open court that he was on leave.

Justice Varma is the second senior-most judge of the Delhi High Court who enrolled as an advocate in the Allahabad High Court on August 8, 1992.

He took oath as a permanent judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 1, 2016 and was appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court on October 11, 2021.

Born on January 6, 1969 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Justice Varma secured his Bachelor's in Law degree from Rewa University, Madhya Pradesh.

He handled matters relating to the Constitution and labour disputes, as well as laws governing industries and corporations and taxes. From 2006 till he was appointed to the bench there, he was also the Special Counsel for the Allahabad High Court. Subsequently, he also served as the state's Chief Standing Counsel.

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association strongly opposed the transfer of Delhi High Court sitting judge Justice Yashwant Varma, saying it was not a 'trash bin'.

"We were taken aback that the Supreme Court has transferred Justice Yashwant Varma back to Allahabad High Court ...," the association said in a resolution passed soon after the news of the judge's transfer by a SC collegium was reported.