The Bar Association criticized the manner in which Justice Yashwant Varma was sworn in as a judge of the Allahabad High Court, calling it secretive and inappropriate. They claimed the oath was administered in a “clandestine manner,” without transparency. According to the association, such actions erode public trust in the judiciary. The incident has added to the controversy surrounding his appointment amid corruption allegations.
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association claimed that Justice Yashwant Varma was administered his oath in a “clandestine” manner on Saturday amid allegations regarding cash found at his home.
The lawyers’ organisation, which opposed the judge’s repatriation, questioned,
“Why this oath was not notified to the Bar”
He further Claimed,
“This incident has further eroded public trust in the judicial system.”
An in-house inquiry initiated by the Chief Justice of India after “four to five semi-burnt sacks” of Indian currency notes were discovered at Justice Varma’s residence following a fire incident last month.
Justice Varma has stated that neither he nor his family was aware of the money.
In a letter dated April 5 to Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court Arun Bhansali, Vikrant Pandey, secretary of the HCBA, argued that “legally and traditionally, the oath administered to Justice Varma is fallacious and unacceptable,” and urged that the Chief Justice refrain from assigning any administrative or judicial duties to the judge.
The letter read,
“The entire Bar Association is distressed to learn about the clandestine manner in which Justice Yashwant Varma has been administered the oath of his office at Allahabad,”
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Pandey continued,
“In due deference to our remonstration against the repatriation of Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad High Court, the Hon’ble CJI had met with members of the Bar and assured that appropriate steps would be taken to maintain the dignity of the judicial system,”
He added,
“We are given to understand that the system is taking every step in a fair and transparent manner, but why this oath was not notified to the Bar is a question that once again erodes the trust of people in the judicial system.”
Pandey stated,
“We unequivocally condemn the manner in which Justice Yashwant Varma was administered the oath behind our backs.”
There has been no official statement from the high court regarding the judge’s swearing-in. The cash recovery incident has reignited discussions about judicial accountability, with calls for stringent action to restore faith in the judiciary.
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Pandey emphasized that,
“The administration of oath to a judge is a quintessential event in the judicial system. Lawyers, as equal stakeholders in the institution, cannot be kept away.”
He noted that the High Court Bar Association passed a resolution asserting that the oath is against the Constitution of India, and therefore, its members do not wish to be associated with what they deem an unconstitutional oath.
He concluded,
“What we resolved, we spoke openly, and we also sent a copy of the resolutions to everyone, including your lordship. Thus, we fail to understand what is ‘clandestine’ about this oath.”
Born in 1969, Justice Varma earned his LLB from Rewa University in Madhya Pradesh and began practicing law in 1992. He served as special counsel for the Allahabad High Court and as chief standing counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh.
Designated a Senior Advocate in 2013, he was appointed as an additional judge of the High Court in October 2014 and became a permanent judge in February 2017. He later transferred to the Delhi High Court, taking office on October 11, 2021.
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