The Supreme Court Collegium has transferred Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Verma to Allahabad High Court, where he was posted initially. The reason for the sudden transfer on Thursday will shock you. The transfer came after a large amount of cash was allegedly recovered at Justice Verma’s house by the fire brigade and police personnel.
The presence of the cash at the judge’s home came to the fore after a fire broke out at Justice Yashwant Verma’s house recently. The judge was not present at home at that time. The family informed the fire brigade and the police.
While assessing the damage after extinguishing the fire, the firefighters found a large amount of cash in a room. This was then reported to top police officers. The report was then sent to the Union Home Ministry.
The central government informed Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna about the incident. The CJI immediately convened a meeting of the collegium’s five senior-most judges, including himself. The Collegium decided to transfer Justice Yashwant Verma back to Allahabad High Court. The Collegium also agreed that just a transfer would not be enough. Further action is needed in the matter.
There is a possibility that Justice Verma could be asked to resign. If he does not, an internal investigation can be set up against him. Such investigations are conducted by a committee of a Supreme Court judge and Chief Justices of two different high courts. If the judge is found guilty in the investigation, the report is sent to the Parliament for further action. The proposal to remove the judge is discussed and voted upon.
Justice Yashwant Verma became a judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2014. In 2021, he was transferred to the Delhi High Court. At present, he is the third-most senior judge at Delhi High Court.
