Bar associations of different High Courts across the country have issued a joint statement requesting Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to initiate a criminal investigation against Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, following the alleged recovery of Rs 15 crore cash from his official residence on the night of March 14.
The associations further requested the CJI to withdraw the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium to transfer Justice Varma to his parent High Court in Allahabad.
They praised CJI Khanna for embracing transparency in the probe against Justice Varma and for making public the report submitted by Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and other materials on the website of the Supreme Court of India.
The Bar bodies further asked the CJI to withdraw all administrative work, in addition to the judicial work already withdrawn from Justice Varma.
The joint statement was issued by the Presidents of the Bar Associations of High Courts of Delhi, Allahabad, Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat.
It said that to set a criminal law in motion, it was applicable to any government servant.