The Allahabad High Court Bar Association on Tuesday began an indefinite strike to protest against the proposed transfer to the high court here of Delhi HC judge Yashwant Varma, who faces a probe after the discovery of a huge amount of cash from his residence.
Separately, the Oudh Bar Association of the Lucknow bench of the high court urged the Centre to return the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation to transfer the judge. It also demanded impeachment proceedings against him to “curb further damage to public faith” in the judiciary.
Leading the Allahabad High Court Bar Association’s protest at gate number 3 of the high court bench in Allahabad, its President Anil Tiwari told reporters their agitation was not against any court or a judge but “against those who have betrayed the judicial system”.
“Our fight is against those involved in corruption and against a system that lacks transparency. For now, our demand is a reconsideration and withdrawal of the transfer order,” he added.
The Bar Association has been up in arms since it learnt about Justice Varma’s potential transfer. It reiterated its opposition on Monday after the Supreme Court Collegium confirmed its decision to recommend the transfer. The association also conveyed its decision to go on the indefinite strike from Tuesday.
Tiwari asserted the association was prepared for an all-out struggle on the issue.
“From the very beginning, there has been an attempt to cover up this matter. Today, lawyers across India are fighting this battle. Until a resolution is reached, we will not resume work, no matter the consequences,” he said on Monday.
The SC’s transfer recommendation to the Centre was made public in a resolution uploaded on the top court’s website on Monday.
The alleged cash discovery at Justice Varma’s Lutyens’ Delhi residence here happened following a fire there around 11.35 pm on March 14. Fire officials responded to a distress call and doused the blaze.
The apex court Collegium, headed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna, and the Delhi high court subsequently issued a series of directives, including the withdrawal of judicial work from Justice Varma.
Justice Varma has “unequivocally” denied the cash being placed in the storeroom either by him or any of his family members while “strongly denouncing the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged” to them.
He said the allegations of cash discovery from his official residence clearly appeared to be a conspiracy to frame and malign him.
Justice Varma was enrolled as an advocate on August 8, 1992. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court on October 13, 2014.
He took oath as a permanent judge of the Allahabad high court on February 1, 2016, before being appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court on October 11, 2021.
Meanwhile, condemning the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium, the Oudh Bar Association (OBA) urged the Central government to return the said proposal, saying they would not tolerate the Allahabad HC being used as a “dustbin” by the SC Collegium.
The OBA has also demanded impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma at the earliest in order to “curb further damage” to public faith in the judiciary.
The OBA said it has decided to discuss the issue with the Central government and the Chief Justice of India soon in collaboration with other 22 bar associations of different high courts of the country.
This was resolved at a meeting of OBA convened on Tuesday noon under president RD Shahi, OBA general secretary Manoj Dwivedi said.
In the meeting, the executive members criticized the proposed repatriation of Justice Varma to Allahabad High Court or his transfer to any other High Court as well and said that the SC should retain him in Delhi without assigning judicial work.
“Past experiences in such matters are sufficient to establish that Allahabad HC is being used as a dustbin. OBA is not going to tolerate it,” said the resolution released by Dwivedi.
The OBA has also requested the SC to review its recommendation.
In solidarity with the Allahabad HC Bar Association, the OBA has also decided to abstain from judicial work at the Lucknow bench on this Friday even though a large section of its executive members wanted to go on an indefinite strike from Wednesday itself.
