Allahabad High Court Bar In A Strongly Worded Letter To The Judges Opposes Transfer Of Justice Yashwant Varma Here Saying We Are Not Trash Bin
By Rajesh Pandey
In a strongly worded letter to the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court as well as all the Judges of the Allahabad High Court, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has opposed the proposed transfer of Justice Yashwant Verma of Delhi High Court back to the Allahabad High Court following the alleged recovery of a large sum of cash from his residence.
In a statement issued earlier on Friday, the HCBA has emphasized that “we are not a trash bin” and made it clear that corruption is unacceptable to it. This opposition comes after reports surfaced about “Rs. 15 crores of cash” found at Justice Verma’s official residence in Delhi.
The Bar Association letter states that it was taken aback by the decision of the Supreme Court collegium to transfer Justice Verma to his parent High Court i.e. Allahabad High Court.
“This decision of collegiums of the Supreme Court raises a serious question as to whether the Allahabad High Court is a trash bin. This matter becomes important when we examine the current situation wherein the Allahabad High Court is short of judges and despite the continuous problems, new judges have not been appointed in the last many years. It is also of grave concern that while appointing judges by elevating members of the Bar, the Bar was never consulted. Consideration of eligibility appears to be not up to the mark. Something is lacking which has resulted in corruption and consequently, great damage has been caused to the public faith in the judiciary”, the HCBA letter states.
The letter of HCBA issued and signed by its president Anil Tiwari further adds that while the High Court is facing “so many problems”, especially a shortage of judges resulting in fresh cases not being heard for months, which is “diminishing the faith of the public in the rule of law, however, it does not mean that we are a thrashing bin.
Against this backdrop, adding that the Bar Association feels that a conspiracy behind all these factors is to divide the Allahabad High Court into parts, the Association has decided to convene an emergent general house meeting to take a “suitable decision”. Accordingly, the meeting will take place on Monday, March 24 at 01:15 P.M.
A copy of this letter has also been sent to the registrar general of Allahabad High Court and the president of Oudh Bar Association, Lucknow.
