Twist in Justice Yashwant Verma’s Transfer: Supreme Court Clarifies Proposal Unrelated to In-House Inquiry Over Cash Discovery
(Judicial Quest News Network)
In a dramatic twist to the ongoing controversy surrounding Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Verma, the Supreme Court has issued a clarification, firmly stating that the proposal to transfer Justice Verma to Allahabad High Court is entirely separate from the in-house inquiry currently underway regarding the discovery of unaccounted cash at his residence.
Hours after reports surfaced about the recovery of a massive amount of unaccounted cash from Verma’s home, the Supreme Court quickly moved to dispel rumours that the transfer recommendation was directly linked to the cash scandal. A press release issued by the Supreme Court revealed that the proposal for his transfer is still under consideration and has not yet been finalized.
The Collegium, which oversees judicial appointments, is still gathering inputs from consulting judges, the Chief Justice of concerned high courts, and Justice Verma himself before making a decision on the transfer. The responses to this proposal will be examined carefully, and only then will the Collegium pass a formal resolution. The press release emphasized that the transfer proposal remains an independent matter, separate from the ongoing inquiry into the cash discovery.
This clarification came after a report from The Times of India revealed that a large sum of unaccounted cash was recovered from Justice Verma’s residence when a fire broke out, leading firefighters to stumble upon the money. The discovery ignited a frenzy in the legal community, and rumours quickly circulated that the Supreme Court had recommended Verma’s transfer to Allahabad High Court in light of the allegations.
However, the Supreme Court’s official stance was clear: while the in-house probe focuses on investigating the cash recovery allegations, the transfer proposal remains unrelated to these developments. Justice Verma, who is the second most senior judge at Delhi High Court and a member of the Collegium, would be placed 9th in seniority if transferred to his parent High Court at Allahabad. The Supreme Court further clarified that the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court has already begun the in-house inquiry and is in the process of collecting evidence. The report from this inquiry will be submitted to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna by March 28 for further action.
The statement from the Supreme Court underscores the distinct nature of the two processes, reaffirming that the transfer and the inquiry are independent matters. As the investigation into the cash recovery unfolds, the legal community will be closely watching how both the in-house probe and the potential transfer of Justice Verma progress in the coming weeks.
