New Delhi: A joint statement by half a dozen bar associations has demanded that the criminal law be set in motion against Justice Yashwant Varma, as it is applied to “any government servant”, and his transfer be withdrawn.
The Supreme Court Collegium had on Monday recommended the judge’s transfer from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court, days after allegations of unaccounted cash being found at his house surfaced. Justice Varma has denied the allegations in his clarification to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya. The Delhi HC had Monday also announced that judicial work has been withdrawn from Varma.
The joint statement has been signed by bar associations including Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association, Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association, Awadh Bar Association Lucknow, Advocates’ Association Bengaluru, Allahabad High Court Bar association, and Madhya Pradesh High Court Bar Association, Jabalpur.
The statement points out that according to Justice Upadhyaya’s report, certain articles were removed from Justice Varma’s premises on 15 March, the morning after the fire took place.
“[H]ad the criminal law been set in motion, the evidence would not have been destroyed. In these kinds of crimes, there would be involvement of others and non-registration would adversely affect their prosecution,” it says.
The statement further demands laying down of accountability standards for judges of higher judiciary, and reassessment of the current in-house procedure for action against judges, approved by the Supreme Court in 1999, the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life (a code of ethics adopted by the Supreme Court in 1997), and the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, 2002.
The associations also appreciated Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna’s decision to make public Justice Upadhyaya’s report and put out other materials related to the allegations on the Supreme Court website.
The presidents of the bar associations have also decided to meet in Allahabad, in case Justice Varma’s transfer is not withdrawn, to show solidarity with the Allahabad HC bar association, which has been up in arms over the transfer, and has sought Justice Varma’s impeachment.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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