New Delhi, Mar 27 (Reporter) In a significant development concerning Justice Yashwant Varma Cash Row, multiple High Court Bar Associations have issued a joint statement urging Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna to initiate a criminal investigation against Justice Yashwant Varma. Additionally, they have requested the withdrawal of the Collegium’s recommendation to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court. The joint statement, signed by the Presidents of the Bar Associations of the High Courts of Delhi, Allahabad, Kerala, Karnataka, and Gujarat, acknowledged the CJI's efforts in promoting transparency, particularly by making the report of the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court and related materials publicly available on the Supreme Court’s website. The Bar Associations requested the withdrawal of Justice Yashwant Varma’s transfer order to Allahabad High Court. They also demanded the removal of all administrative responsibilities assigned to him, in addition to the judicial work that has already been withdrawn. The Associations demanded that the criminal Investigation should be initiated against Justice Varma. The statement emphasized that criminal law must be set in motion, as applicable to any government servant. The Bar Associations highlighted that, according to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice’s report, certain articles were removed from Justice Varma’s premises on March 15, 2025. They argued that if criminal proceedings had been initiated earlier, crucial evidence would not have been destroyed. The statement further warned that in crimes of this nature, multiple individuals could be involved, and failure to register a case would hinder further prosecution. The joint statement also declared that the Presidents of the Bar Associations would convene a meeting in Allahabad if the transfer order is not revoked. This step, they stated, aims to establish accountability standards for judges of the higher judiciary and to reassess the Supreme Court’s in-house procedure, which was approved in 1999. The Associations demanded to review the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life (1997) and Bangalore Principles (2002). Other developments in the case are that a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed seeking the registration of an FIR against Justice Varma. The PIL also challenges the three-member committee formed by CJI Khanna for an in-house inquiry. Justice Yashwant Varma came under scrutiny on March 21, following reports that a fire at a store room which occurred on the night March 14 in his official bungalow and led to the discovery of sacks filled with cash. On March 22, CJI Sanjiv Khanna constituted a three-member committee to investigate the matter under the in-house procedure. This decision followed a report from Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay, who recommended a deeper probe. The Supreme Court subsequently published on its website the Delhi High Court CJ’s report, Justice Varma’s response and Photographs and videos submitted by the Delhi Police Commissioner. The timeline of the event is as follows: On March 14, a fire occurred at Justice Varma’s residential office at 11:30 PM while he was out of town. On March 15 (4:50 PM), The Delhi Police Commissioner informed Delhi High Court Chief Justice Upadhyay about the fire. On March 21, News reports surfaced about the discovery of large amounts of cash at Justice Varma’s premises. On March 22, The CJI formed a three-member inquiry committee. On March 24, The Delhi High Court withdrew Justice Varma’s judicial work following Supreme Court directions. On March 25, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association began an indefinite strike, protesting the Collegium’s recommendation to transfer Justice Varma. Justice Yashwant Varma’s stand on this has been that he has denied possession of the cash, alleging that the accusations are part of a conspiracy against him. With growing concerns over judicial integrity and transparency, the Supreme Court’s next steps in this case will be closely watched...////...