The Allahabad High Court Bar Association opposed Justice Yashwant Verma's return to the Allahabad High Court over corruption concerns, criticising the Supreme Court's decision
Members of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association hold a meeting. (Photo: X)
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has written to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna opposing the proposed transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court back to the Allahabad High Court after alleged recovery of a huge pile of cash from his Delhi residence.
Amid reports of the judge’s transfer, the Supreme Court’s press note on Friday suggested that Justice Varma has not been transferred and a proposal in this regard is under consideration.
In the strongly-worded letter, the bar body said they were not a “trash bin" and that they were against corruption, a report on Live Law stated.
“This decision of the collegium of the Supreme Court raises a serious question as to whether the Allahabad High Court is trash bin? This matter becomes important when we examine the current situation wherein the Allahabad High Court is short of hon’ble judges and despite the continuous problems, new judges have not appointed since last many years. It is also of grave concern that while appointing judges by elevating members of the Bar, the Bar was never consulted. Consideration of eligibility appears to be not up to the mark. Something is lacking which has resulted in corruption and consequently, a great damage has been caused to the public faith in judiciary," the letter states.
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The letter adds that while the High Court is facing “so many problems", especially a shortage of judges resulting in fresh cases not being heard for months, which is “diminishing the faith of the public in the rule of law", it “does not mean that we are thrashing bin".
Cash Controversy
The money was recovered from the official bungalow of Justice Yashwant Varma after a fire broke out at his residence on Tughlak Road. Justice Varma was not in the city when the incident took place and his family members called the fire brigade and police. After the fire was doused, first responders found a huge amount of cash inside a room, leading to an inquiry against him.
In addition to this, the top court Collegium initiated an in-house probe against Justice Yashwant Varma and has also sought a report from Delhi HC Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya.
Notably, Justice Varma was transferred to the Delhi High Court In October 2021.
Days after heaps of cash were allegedly recovered from the residence of Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, reportedly during a fire-fighting operation, city’s fire services chief Atul Garg on Friday said that the fire responders did not find any cash during the operation, giving a new twist in the ongoing controversy.
It was earlier reported that after the fire was doused at his residence, the firefighters found a huge amount of cash inside a room, which led to an inquiry against the senior judge.
Garg said that the control room received a call about the fire incident at the judge’s residence at Tughlak Road at 11.35 pm on March 14, after which two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. They had reached the residence at 11.43 pm.
Justice Varma was not in Delhi when the incident took place.
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The fire was reported in a store room stocked with stationery and domestic things, and it took 15 minutes to bring the blaze under control, he said.
“Soon after dousing the flames, we informed police about the fire incident. Thereafter, a team of fire department personnel left the spot. Our firefighters did not find any cash during their firefighting operation," he said.
Amid reports of his transfer back to Allahabad High Court, the top court clarified that Justice Varma was not transferred, adding that a proposal in this regard was under consideration.
In a press release, the Supreme Court said that the proposal was not related to any “incident" at the judge’s residence.
“There is misinformation and rumours being spread with regard to the incident at the residence of Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma," the Supreme Court said.
“The proposal for the transfer of Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma, who is the second senior most judge in the Delhi High Court and a member of the Collegium, to his parent High Court, i.e. the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, where he will be ninth in seniority, is independent and separate from the In-house inquiry procedure," the release added.
The reverence for Aurangzeb in Pakistan extends beyond school textbooks. Prominent Islamic thinkers such as Allama Iqbal and Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maududi have praised his leadership.
The modern-day discourse on Aurangzeb remains polarised.
The difference between India and Pakistan extends far beyond borders, politics, and culture – it is deeply embedded in the way history is taught in schools. The school curriculum of both nations reflect their respective identities, political ideologies, and historical perspectives. This divide is particularly evident in the portrayal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb whose legacy continues to spark debate on both sides of the border.
In India, students studying under the CBSE, ICSE, IB, and various state boards are introduced to Aurangzeb as a complex and often controversial figure. Textbooks, particularly those under NCERT, emphasise his religious policies, including the imposition of the Jizya tax on non-Muslims in 1679 and his role in the demolition of temples such as the Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and the Keshavdev temple in Mathura. These actions are often mentioned setting him apart from rulers like Akbar, who is celebrated for his inclusive and secular policies.
While Aurangzeb’s military strategies and administrative skills are acknowledged, given that the Mughal Empire reached its territorial zenith during his reign, textbooks also highlight how economic and administrative weaknesses began to emerge, ultimately contributing to the empire’s decline.
The modern-day discourse on Aurangzeb remains polarised. While some historians argue that his reign had significant contributions to governance and the arts, school textbooks predominantly focus on his controversial policies.
However, in Pakistan, where students follow the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) and provincial boards such as the Sindh and Punjab boards, Aurangzeb is revered as a heroic figure. Textbooks present him as an ideal ruler who upheld Islamic principles in governance. His implementation of Sharia law and policies such as the Jizya tax are seen as demonstrations of his commitment to Islamic rule.
History books in Pakistan often contrast Aurangzeb with Akbar, painting the former as a defender of Islam while portraying the latter’s secular policies as less in line with Islamic traditions. The curriculum in Pakistan focus on his efforts to consolidate the Mughal Empire and maintain unity among his subjects.
The reverence for Aurangzeb in Pakistan extends beyond school textbooks. Prominent Islamic thinkers such as Allama Iqbal and Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maududi have praised his leadership, further cementing his image as a ruler who sought to uphold and spread Islamic values.
In today’s evening digest, News18 brings the latest updates on Amit Shah’s address in Rajya Sabha, Karnataka Assembly ruckus amid honey-trap row, Israel threatens to partially annex Gaza, and other top stories.
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An Israeli minister on Friday ordered the army to create a ‘permanent occupation area’ in the Gaza Strip as Israeli forces restarted operations into Gaza citing that the Palestinian militant group Hamas did not keep the ceasefire promise it had made by not releasing the hostages still held by it inside the blockaded coastal enclave.
The Supreme Court on Friday clarified that Justice Yashwant Varma, a senior judge of the Delhi High Court, had not been transferred and that a proposal for the same was under consideration. It added that the proposal was not related to any “incident" at Justice Varma’s house.
Justice Verma is at the centre of a controversy after reports that a large sum of cash was discovered at his official residence last week.
Amid reports that Justice Verma was transferred to the Allahabad High Court, the top court’s press note suggested that the proposal for the judges’ transfer had yet to be examined and was unrelated to the alleged cash discovery.
“There is misinformation and rumours being spread with regard to the incident at the residence of Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma," the Supreme Court stated in a press release.
“The proposal for the transfer of Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma, who is the second senior most judge in the Delhi High Court and a member of the Collegium, to his parent High Court, i.e. the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, where he will be ninth in seniority, is independent and separate from the In-house enquiry procedure," the release added, referring to a Supreme Court-ordered probe into the cash controversy.
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The press note came a day after the Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, reportedly initiated the process to transfer Justice Varma.
Probe into cash row
Regarding the discovery of alleged cash at Justice Varma’s residence, the Supreme Court stated that Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya had initiated an in-house enquiry to collect evidence and information.
“The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, who had commenced his enquiry prior to the Collegium meeting on 20th March 2025, will be submitting his report to the Chief Justice of India today, i.e. on 21st March 2025," the press note said.
Air India on Friday said its operations to and from the London Heathrow airport have been disrupted, with one flight returning to Mumbai, another diverting to Frankfurt and other flights remaining cancelled due to temporary suspension of operations at the airport.
Following a significant power outage, operations at the London Heathrow (LHR) have been suspended till 2359 hours (local time) on March 21.
Apart from Air India, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have daily direct flights between various Indian cities and LHR, one of the busiest airports in the world.
In a statement, Air India (AI) said its operations to and from LHR have been disrupted.
“London Heathrow-bound AI129 from Mumbai is returning to Mumbai; AI161 from Delhi is diverting to Frankfurt. All our remaining flights to and from London Heathrow, including AI111 of this morning, have been cancelled for 21 March," the airline said.
Air India also said that its flights to London Gatwick remain unaffected.
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According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Air India has 6 flights to LHR on March 21, with a total of 1,843 seats.
British Airways has 8 flights per day between India and LHR, including 3 from Mumbai and 2 from Delhi. Virgin Atlantic has 5 daily flights to LHR from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Providing a global perspective, Cirium on Friday said roughly upwards of 1,45,000 passengers could be impacted.
“This is an estimate based on the daily total scheduled seats and flights, which will not be full, and noting the various departure times around the world that could arrive at LHR on Friday. On the LHR departures front, upwards of 145,000 total seats are scheduled to fly on March 21.
“There are 669 flights scheduled to depart on March 21, 2025," it said.
In a statement, a British Airways spokesperson said customers due to travel from Heathrow on Friday are advised not to travel to the airport until further notice.
“This will clearly have a significant impact on our operation and our customers and we’re working as quickly as possible to update them on their travel options for the next 24 hours and beyond," the spokesperson said.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said the temporary airport closure has had a significant impact on its flying programme.
“We’re incredibly sorry for the disruption this will cause and are working with our teams to ensure customers can complete their journeys as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said in a statement.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI)
