Yashwant Varma takes oath as Allahabad HC judge amid cash recovery row, but won't get any judicial work. Here's why

Justice Yashwant Varma, who was embroiled in a controversy following the cash recovery at his residence during a fire, has taken oath as the Allahabad High Court judge amid the row. Despite this, Yashwant Varma would not be able to undertake any judicial work.

On March 28, the Central government notified the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court, directing him to assume his position and take charge at his parent high court.

As he joins the Allahabad High Court, the Chief Justice has been directed not to assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Varma. Earlier, the Supreme Court had recommended his transfer to Allahabad High Court.

However, Yashwant Varma's transfer was not linked to the discovery of the wads of cash found at his residence. The Supreme Court asserted that the recommendation was separate from the in-house investigation which was initiated against him over the cash recovery.

Cash recovery case and Justice Varma's reaction

The alleged cash discovery happened on the night of Holi, March 14, when a fire broke out in the storeroom of Yashwant Varma's Lutyens' Delhi residence around 11.35 pm. Several pictures of the burnt cash surfaced on social media.

In his response to Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice DK Upadhyay, Justice Varma ‘unequivocally’ denied the allegations against him. He said neither he nor his family members ever placed cash in the storeroom and that the suggestion that this “cash was kept or stored by us is totally preposterous.”

“I state unequivocally that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by me or any of my family members and strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us. The very idea or suggestion that this cash was kept or stored by us is totally preposterous,” Justice Varma said.

“The suggestion that one would store cash in an open, freely accessible and commonly used storeroom near the staff quarters or in an outhouse verges on the incredible and incredulous,” Justice Varma said.