Justice Yashwant Verma Row | Delhi HC Chief Justice Initiates Inquiry; Transfer Not Finalised Yet, Says Supreme Court
Kiran Raj
In response to mounting speculation surrounding Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Verma—whose residence was allegedly the site of a cash recovery—the Supreme Court has issued an official statement to dispel misinformation and clarify the actions underway.
The Supreme Court’s press release outlines three key points:
- The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court initiated an in-house inquiry prior to the Supreme Court Collegium's meeting on March 20. The Chief Justice is expected to submit a report on the matter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) which will inform subsequent steps.
- Pending the outcome of the inquiry, Justice Verma is proposed to be transferred from the Delhi High Court. The court explained that this move is intended to ensure the integrity of the investigation, as Justice Verma’s presence in Delhi could potentially impede the process. Importantly, the court clarified that the transfer proposal is separate from the in-house investigation.
- The Supreme Court Collegium has sought responses from Justice Verma, the Chief Justices of the Delhi High Court and Allahabad High Court regarding the proposed transfer. Based on these responses, the Collegium will decide on passing a formal resolution.
Addressing the rumours, the Supreme Court stated: “There is misinformation and rumours being spread with regard to the incident at the residence of Mr. Justice Yashwant Verma.”
The Court referenced its established in-house procedure, citing precedents such as C. Ravichandran Iyer v. Justice A.M. Bhattacharjee (1995) 5 SCC 457 and Additional District and Sessions Judge 'X' v. Registrar General, High Court of Madhya Pradesh (2015) 4 SCC 91. The in-house mechanism, available on the Supreme Court’s official website, governs the process for internal judicial inquiries.
The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court launched the inquiry promptly upon receiving information about the incident. Having begun before the March 20 Collegium meeting, the inquiry report is now being submitted for consideration by the CJI.
Separately, the Collegium—comprising the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court—deliberated on Justice Verma’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court, where he would rank ninth in seniority, in contrast to his current position as the second senior-most judge in Delhi.
The Supreme Court also noted that following the Collegium’s March 20 deliberation, consultation letters were sent to relevant judges and chief justices. Once all responses are reviewed, the Collegium will issue a resolution on the matter.
