A petition has been filed in the Allahabad High Court seeking to prevent Justice Yashwant Varma from taking oath. The PIL refers to an ongoing in-house inquiry ordered by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) regarding the discovery of “four to five semi-burnt sacks” of Indian currency notes at Justice Varma’s residence. The notes were reportedly recovered after a fire incident last month, raising concerns over possible misconduct. The plea urges the court to withhold his oath until the investigation is complete.
Lucknow: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was submitted to the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday, requesting a directive to the Chief Justice to refrain from administering the oath to Justice Yashwant Varma, according to court sources.
The PIL referenced the ongoing internal inquiry initiated by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) regarding the discovery of “four to five semi-burnt sacks” of Indian currency notes at Justice Varma’s residence following a fire incident last month.
Justice Varma was recently transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court amid the controversy regarding the cash recovery. The PIL, filed by Vikash Chaturvedi, is scheduled for a hearing on April 4, as per the sources.
Advocate Ashok Pandey, who represents Chaturvedi, contended that since the CJI has reportedly “directed the Allahabad High Court Chief Justice not to assign any judicial work to Justice Varma during the ongoing inquiry,” there is no basis for proceeding with the oath ceremony.
The petitioner has also contested the central government’s notification issued on March 28, 2025, which approved the Supreme Court collegium’s recommendation to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court.
The Central Government announced the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court back to his original position at the Allahabad High Court.
This decision followed a recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium made on March 24.
Additionally, The Supreme Court of India directed the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court not to assign any judicial responsibilities to Justice Yashwant Varma.
A fire broke out at Justice Varma’s home on the evening of March 14, during which unaccounted cash was inadvertently found by firefighters.
A video depicting the recovery of the burnt cash was reportedly shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
At the time of the incident, Justice Varma and his wife were traveling in Madhya Pradesh, leaving only their daughter and elderly mother at home. On March 21, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) initiated an internal investigation into the allegations, appointing a three-member committee to carry out the inquiry.