Allahabad Bar Association Protests Transfer of Justice Verma Amid Ongoing Investigation

New Delhi, 27th March 2025: Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Verma, who is under investigation for allegedly receiving unaccounted cash at his official residence, has been reassigned to the Allahabad High Court and relieved of his judicial duties. This move follows a notice issued by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, confirming the withdrawal of Justice Verma from his judicial responsibilities. In response, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association has announced an indefinite strike starting Tuesday to protest the Collegium’s decision to transfer Justice Verma.

The Registrar (Listing) of the High Court issued a formal notice on Monday, confirming Justice Verma’s reassignment. Until now, Justice Verma had been serving as part of a two-member bench alongside Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday affirmed its decision to send Justice Verma back to the Allahabad High Court. A resolution uploaded on the apex court’s website made the recommendation public, which had been made to the central government for Justice Verma’s return.

Details of the Case:
• Investigation Initiated: An internal inquiry against Justice Verma had already been initiated before the Supreme Court Collegium’s meetings on March 20 and 24. Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay of the Delhi High Court launched the inquiry as soon as the matter came to light.

• Clarification from the Supreme Court: The Supreme Court clarified that the inquiry into Justice Verma was unrelated to the decision to transfer him back to the Allahabad High Court. The Collegium’s recommendation was made separately from the ongoing investigation.

• Details of the Incident: The alleged recovery of unaccounted cash occurred on the night of March 14, around 11:35 PM, following a fire at Justice Verma’s official residence.

• Protests by Allahabad High Court Bar: In response to the Collegium’s decision to send Justice Verma back, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association announced an indefinite strike starting Tuesday.

After an emergency executive meeting on Monday evening, Bar President Anil Tiwari and General Secretary Vikrant Pandey confirmed that the Allahabad High Court Bar Association would abstain from judicial work starting Tuesday until further notice. They stated that the decision was made due to the gravity of the current situation.

Earlier, in an afternoon meeting held in the library, the Bar Association passed a resolution calling for an investigation into Justice Verma’s impeachment and the alleged incident of cash burning at his official residence. The resolution also demanded that agencies other than the CBI and ED handle the investigation. Additionally, the Bar requested a review of the judgments delivered by Justice Verma during his tenure. Reaffirming their position, the Bar Association
declared that the Allahabad High Court should not serve as a “dumping ground” for corrupt or tainted judges.