The Supreme Court Collegium has decided to transfer Justice Yashwant Verma from the Delhi High Court back to the Allahabad High Court after a significant amount of unaccounted cash was discovered at his official residence. The decision follows an incident last week during the Holi holidays when a fire broke out at his official bungalow, leading to the discovery of the cash by emergency personnel and the police.
Justice Verma was reportedly not in the city at the time of the incident. His family members, upon noticing the fire, alerted emergency services, which subsequently informed the authorities about the cash recovery. The incident was quickly escalated through official channels, prompting the Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, to take immediate action.
Sources indicate that the Chief Justice took the matter very seriously, and the five-member Collegium unanimously agreed on Justice Verma’s transfer. However, some members of the Collegium suggested that merely transferring the judge might not be sufficient to address the gravity of the situation. There were discussions about whether stricter action should be taken to uphold the judiciary’s integrity and prevent any potential damage to its reputation.
Among the options considered was the possibility of asking Justice Verma to resign. If he refused, sources suggest that an internal inquiry could be launched by the Chief Justice. This inquiry could be the first step towards his removal by Parliament, following due constitutional procedures.
Process for Removing a High Court Judge
The Supreme Court has established guidelines for addressing allegations of misconduct against judges of the Constitutional Court. According to these guidelines, if a complaint is received, the Chief Justice must first seek a response from the concerned judge. If the response is unsatisfactory or the matter warrants deeper investigation, the Chief Justice may constitute an internal committee.
This committee typically consists of one Supreme Court judge and two Chief Justices from different High Courts. If, after reviewing the committee’s report, the Chief Justice deems the misconduct severe enough to warrant removal, the judge is asked to resign. If the judge refuses, the Chief Justice can then recommend to the government that Parliament initiate removal proceedings under Article 124(4) of the Constitution.
As of now, Justice Verma has not issued any statement regarding the recovery of the cash. The situation remains under scrutiny, and further developments are expected as the matter progresses through judicial and administrative channels.
