The Delhi High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma, is currently at the center of a significant controversy following the alleged discovery of a large cache of cash at his official residence. Serving as a judge since 2014, he was appointed to the Delhi High Court in 2021 after a distinguished tenure at the Allahabad High Court. Amid growing speculation, the Supreme Court Collegium has initiated his transfer back to his original court.
Justice Varma, born on January 6, 1969, in Allahabad, completed his B.Com (Honours) at Hansraj College of Delhi University and went on to obtain an LLB from Rewa University in Madhya Pradesh. He began his legal career in 1992 at the Allahabad High Court, where he specialized in constitutional, labor, industrial, corporate, and taxation laws.
His notable legal career includes serving as the special counsel at the Allahabad High Court from 2006 and as the chief standing counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government starting in 2012. In 2013, he was designated as a senior advocate, before being appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2014, later becoming a permanent judge in 2016.
Justice Varma has presided over several high-profile cases, including a ruling that mandated SpiceJet and its promoter, Ajay Singh, to refund Rs 579 crore plus interest to media tycoon Kalanithi Maran. He also stayed Lokpal proceedings against Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren, initiated by the corruption complaint of BJP leader Nishikant Dubey, and quashed a tax reassessment petition filed by Congress, overturning a Central Board of Direct Taxes order that denied tax exemption to Noida on income from loans.
However, Justice Varma’s otherwise commendable record faced scrutiny after a large pile of cash was reportedly uncovered at his residence following a call to firefighters to extinguish a fire.
In response to the ongoing speculation, the Supreme Court has clarified that Justice Varma’s transfer back to the Allahabad High Court is unrelated to the alleged cash recovery. “There is misinformation and rumors being circulated regarding the incident at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma,” the Supreme Court stated, emphasizing that the transfer decision is independent and not a consequence of the controversy.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court has confirmed that an in-house inquiry is underway, as per established procedures.
