Cash Row | Bar Associations Urge CJI To Initiate Criminal Investigation Against Justice Yashwant Varma

In a development relating to Justice Yashwant Varma Cash Row, several Bar Associations of the various High Courts have issued a joint statement requesting the CJI, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, to initiate a criminal investigation against Justice Varma and to withdraw the recommendation to transfer the Judge to  Allahabad High Court. 

The official joint statement has made the following request : 

"The Bar Associations places on record its appreciation of steps taken by the Chief Justice of India to embrace transparency and to make public the report of the Chief Justice of High Court of Delhi and other materials on the website of the Supreme Court of India."

"The Bar Associations request the Chief Justice and the Collegium to withdraw transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma and to withdraw all administrative work in addition to the Judicial work which is already withdrawn."  and 

" To set the criminal law in motion as is applicable to any government servant." 

As per the joint statement issued by the Presidents of  Bar Associations of High Courts of Delhi, Allahabad, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, such a request has been raised considering that as per the " report of the Chief Justice of High Court of Delhi, somebody removed the articles from the premises on 15.3.2025 and had the criminal law been sent on motion, the evidence would not have been destroyed." 

"In these kinds of crimes, there would be involvement of others and non-registration of would adversely affect their prosecution." 

The Statement issued also mentions that the Presidents of the Bar Associations would meet at Allahabad "in the event of non- withdrawal of the transfer order of Justice Yashwant Varma to show solidarity with the High Court Bar Association of Allahabad."

It specified that this step is being taken to "lay down accountability standards for judges of higher judiciary and reassess the current in-house procedure approved by the Supreme Court in 1999 and Restatement of values of Judicial Life as approved in 1997 followed by the Bangalore Principles of 2002." 

Notably, a PIL has also been filed seeking to register an FIR against Justice Varma and challenging the three-member committee constituted by the Chief Justice of India for in-house enquiry.

Justice Varma became a centre of controversy on March 21 after the publication of news reports that a fire at a storeroom in the outhouse of his official bungalow led to the discovery of sacks of cash currencies.

On March 22, CJI Sanjiv Khanna constituted a 3-member committee to conduct an inquiry into the matter as part of the in-house procedure. This decision was taken after a report was given by Delhi High Court Chief Justice, DK Upadhyay, that the matter required a deeper probe.

The Supreme Court also published on its website the report of the Delhi HC CJ, the response of Justice Varma and the photographs and video shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner.

The fire incident occurred on March 14 at the residential office of Justice Varma when he was out of town.

Delhi High Chief Justice Upadhyay was informed by the Commissioner of Police Delhi in the evening around 4:50 pm on March 15 about the fire which happened at Justice Varma's bungalow on March 14 at 11.30 PM.

Justice Varma has denied the possession of cash and claimed it to be a conspiracy against him.

On March 24, the Delhi High Court withdrew judicial work from Justice Varma in pursuance of directions from the Apex Court. On the same day, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association, aggrieved by the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma from Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court, announced an indefinite strike starting March 25.