Swift Collegium Action: Delhi HC Judge Gets Transferred
The Supreme Court Collegium recommended transferring Justice Yashwant Verma after authorities found a large amount of cash in his official residence. Following this, the Delhi HC judge gets transferred and was sent back to the Allahabad High Court, his parent court.
Fire Led to Shocking Discovery
A fire broke out at Justice Verma’s bungalow while he was out of the city. His family called the fire brigade and police. After dousing the flames, firefighters discovered stacks of cash in multiple rooms. Officials recorded the unaccounted money in their incident report.
Collegium’s Response
After receiving the report, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna immediately convened a Collegium meeting. The panel unanimously decided to transfer Justice Verma back to the Allahabad High Court, where he served until October 2021.
Discussions are ongoing about launching an investigation and initiating impeachment proceedings. Some Collegium judges argue that a mere transfer damages the judiciary’s credibility. They suggest Justice Verma should resign voluntarily. If he refuses, impeachment proceedings could begin in Parliament.
Judicial Rules on Misconduct
The Supreme Court established an in-house procedure in 1999 to handle corruption and misconduct allegations against High Court and Supreme Court judges.
Under this system, the Chief Justice first seeks an explanation from the accused judge. Whether the response is unsatisfactory or a deeper inquiry is needed, the CJI forms a panel with one Supreme Court judge and two High Court Chief Justices.
If the panel finds wrongdoing, the judge may be asked to resign. When they refuse, impeachment proceedings can follow.
