Justice Yashwant Varma, recently transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court following a high-profile in-house inquiry, was administered the oath of office on Saturday in what has now become a matter of serious contention. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has strongly condemned the manner in which the oath was conducted, raising questions over transparency and propriety.
In a letter dated April 5 and addressed to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali of the Allahabad High Court, HCBA Secretary Vikrant Pandey called the oath-taking ceremony “fallacious and unacceptable,” asserting that the Bar was not notified about the swearing-in, contrary to long-standing legal and traditional practices.
“The entire Bar Association is at pains to learn about the clandestine manner in which Justice Yashwant Varma has administered the oath of office at Allahabad,” the letter stated. “We unequivocally condemn the manner in which this was done behind our backs.”
Justice Varma was transferred following an in-house inquiry ordered by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) after a fire incident at his residence led to the discovery of “four to five semi-burnt sacks” of Indian currency notes, raising serious concerns and prompting further scrutiny.
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Pandey, in the letter, referred to earlier assurances by the CJI to the Bar that all steps would be taken to uphold the dignity of the judiciary. “We were assured that the system was working in a fair and transparent manner. But the manner of this oath has again eroded public trust in the judicial system,” he wrote.
The HCBA has also urged the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court not to assign any judicial or administrative responsibilities to Justice Varma until the matter is fully addressed.
The incident has sparked a fresh debate over judicial accountability and transparency in appointments and transfers, with legal professionals calling for adherence to procedural norms and greater openness in matters involving members of the higher judiciary.
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