LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has demanded the impeachment of Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Verma, following the discovery of large sums of unaccounted cash at an outhouse of his residence last week.
The call for impeachment was made on Monday during a meeting where the association also strongly opposed the Supreme Court collegium’s decision to transfer Justice Verma to the Allahabad High Court after stripping him of all judicial responsibilities.
The cash was found after a fire incident at the judge’s property, sparking serious allegations of corruption. Justice Verma has denied all accusations, claiming that he is a victim of a conspiracy aimed at tarnishing his image.
In response to the incident, the Chief Justice of India ordered an in-house inquiry on 22 March, appointing a panel of three High Court judges to investigate the matter. While the HCBA acknowledged this step, it argued that a panel of judges investigating their own peers could lead to conflicts of interest and bias.
The Supreme Court collegium, however, issued an official letter on Monday recommending Justice Verma’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court. This move was met with fierce resistance from the HCBA, which stated that Allahabad HC was not a “dumping ground for corrupt and tainted judges.”
The HCBA has also called for the registration of an FIR against Justice Verma and an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The association warned that the current situation posed a grave threat to the integrity of the judiciary and could erode public trust in the system.
Furthermore, the HCBA has demanded a review of all judgments delivered by Justice Verma. It also called for a significant overhaul of the collegium system for judicial appointments, accusing the current process of lacking transparency.