Fri Mar 21 10:00:00 UTC 2025: ## High Court Judge Transferred After Cash Found at Burned Residence

**New Delhi** – Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge of the Delhi High Court, has been transferred back to the Allahabad High Court following a controversial incident. A significant amount of cash was discovered at Justice Varma’s residence after a fire, and a video purportedly showing the burning money has circulated widely on social media. The Supreme Court collegium, in a unanimous decision on Thursday, March 20th, approved the transfer.

The decision highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the opaque nature of India’s judicial appointments and transfer system, known as the collegium system. This system, comprising judges from the Supreme Court and High Courts, selects and transfers judges without a clearly defined process or public transparency. Critics argue the lack of official records, eligibility criteria, and public involvement makes the process susceptible to concerns about fairness and accountability.

While the collegium system has been challenged, notably by the Justice M N Venkatachaliah Commission which proposed a National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), the Supreme Court struck down the NJAC as unconstitutional in 2015, maintaining the primacy of the judiciary in judicial appointments. The government’s role is limited to background checks and the ability to raise objections to collegium recommendations.

The transfer of Justice Varma underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability in the judicial appointment process, a matter of continuous contention between the judiciary and the executive branch. The incident also raises questions about the ethical considerations surrounding the handling of large sums of cash by a high-ranking judicial officer.

Read More