Allahabad High Court Bar Association Calls for Indefinite Strike against Justice Varma’s Repatriation
NEW DELHI, Mar 24: The Allahabad High Court Bar Association on Monday gave a call for indefinite strike in protest against the Supreme Court Collegium’s decision to recommend to the government repatriation to the Allahabad High Court of the tainted Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma from whose official residence in Delhi wads of currency notes were allegedly recovered after a fire incident on the Holi day on March 14.
The Association adopted a resolution calling for a strike and said the advocates would desist from work till the repatriation order was withdrawn. The Association also demanded review of all the judgements delivered by him during his tenure as a judge.
“All the judgments delivered by Justice Yashwant Varma during his tenure as a judge at the Allahabad High Court and Delhi High Court be reviewed to inspire confidence of people at large to regain ‘public faith’ in the judicial system. The manner in which this is to be done is to be decided by the Supreme Court as we have full trust in our judges,” the resolution by the Allahabad High Court Bar Association says.
The Bar Association said after Justice Varma’s incident, the judiciary, especially the High Court and the Supreme Court, might not be able to claim moral high ground. Maintaining its strong opposition against the transfer of Justice Varma to the parent Allahabad High Court or its Lucknow Bench, the Bar Association once again said the Allahabad High Court was not a dumping ground for corrupt and tainted judges.
“After having considered the entire report which has been uploaded on the website of the Supreme Court and in particular the reply of Justice Varma, the association rejects his reply and reiterates that appropriate criminal proceedings should be lodged against him by filing a first information report in the matter which should be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate,” said Anil Tiwari, president AHCBA.
He said it was unfortunate that Justice Varma continues to deny his role and was crying foul and frame-up instead of stepping down with grace and dignity and let the law of the land take its own course. “We further place on record with full trust, respect and confidence in our judicial system which is manned by absolutely honest, dedicated and hard-working persons.
“We have full faith in our judges. We must record that there are only few who are polluting this flow of judicial river and thus demand for strict action in accordance with the general law of this country by withdrawing all protections. The damage is caused not only to the public trust but also to the image of impartial justice which cannot be tolerated at all,” the resolution said.
Meanwhile, the former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi called for a thorough investigation into allegations of cash recovery from Justice Varma’s house and said the matter “does not look like an open and shut case.” Referring to the Supreme Court confirming the transfer of Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court, Mr Rohatgi said he was “mystified” by the repatriation announcement.
“I have never understood the statement that this transfer proposal has nothing to do with the cash scam. According to me, it is because of the cash scam that he is being proposed to be transferred… Ultimately, the point of the transfer is not that important because he doesn’t have any judicial work. So whether he sits in his house in Delhi or whether he sits in his house in Allahabad, what difference will it make? The real question is that we should come to the bottom of the issue as early as possible whether the judge is a delinquent, is he guilty of moral turpitude, or he is not and his reputation is being damned. There are several loose ends in this case as of now which need to be answered. So I don’t think there is any great thing in saying that the transfer is not connected to the scam. I’m actually mystified by this statement of the Supreme Court,” he said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
