Delhi HC judge transferred after shocking cash discovery amid fire incident

Delhi High Court justice Yashwant Verma has been transferred back to the Allahabad High Court after a massive stash of cash was allegedly discovered at his residence. The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, made the decision on Thursday, 20 March, following the startling revelation.

The extraordinary discovery occurred when a fire broke out at justice Verma’s house recently. While the judge was not present at home, his family promptly alerted the fire brigade and the police.

As firefighters were assessing the damage after putting out the blaze, they stumbled upon a large amount of cash in one of the rooms. Shocked by the find, they immediately reported the matter to senior police officials, who subsequently forwarded the report to the Union Home Ministry.

The central government promptly informed Chief Justice Khanna, who swiftly convened a meeting with the Collegium's five senior judges.

In an urgent response, the Collegium decided to transfer Justice Verma to Allahabad High Court, where he was originally appointed as a judge in 2014 before being transferred to Delhi High Court in 2021.

The Collegium's decision to transfer the judge is just the first step, as they unanimously agreed that further action is necessary. There are indications that Justice Verma may be asked to resign. Should he refuse, an internal investigation could be launched against him, involving a committee comprising a Supreme Court judge and the Chief Justices of two different high courts.

If the investigation finds justice Verma guilty of misconduct, a report will be forwarded to Parliament for further proceedings. Under the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in 1999, if the chief justice finds the misconduct grave enough to warrant removal, he will ask the judge to resign. If the judge refuses, the Chief Justice will urge the government to initiate impeachment proceedings under Article 124(4) of the Constitution.

Justice Yashwant Verma, currently the third-most senior judge at the Delhi High Court, now faces a precarious situation as legal and disciplinary processes unfold. The shocking discovery of cash at his residence has triggered a major controversy, raising serious questions about judicial integrity and ethics.