A judge from the Delhi High Court was transferred based on the Supreme Court Collegium’s suggestion after a substantial sum of money was found in his bungalow post a fire incident. Justice Yashwant Verma has returned to his original court, the Allahabad High Court.
According to sources, a fire erupted at Justice Varma’s official residence while he was away from the city. His family notified the fire department and the authorities. After the fire was put out, the fire brigade discovered a large amount of money in various rooms of the bungalow.
The report on the incident noted the finding of unaccounted cash in the bungalow.
Upon obtaining the information, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna called for a meeting of the Collegium. It was unanimously agreed to reassign Justice Verma to Allahabad High Court, where he had worked until October 2021.
ALSO READ: Karnataka Assembly passes Muslim quota bill; BJP terms it ‘unconstitutional’
Sources indicated that talks were also in progress regarding the launch of an investigation and the initiation of impeachment proceedings against Justice Verma.
Certain members of the Collegium have expressed worry that simply relocating Justice Verma could damage the judiciary’s reputation and diminish public trust in the legal system. They have requested Justice Verma’s resignation willingly. If he refuses, Parliament could start the impeachment process.
According to the Constitution, a process was established by the Supreme Court in 1999 to investigate claims of corruption, misconduct, or irregularities involving any judge of the High Court or Supreme Court.
