By The Sampadak Express
Members of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) initiated an indefinite strike on Tuesday to protest the proposed transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court. The protest saw a large number of lawyers gathering near Gate No. 3 of the high court, raising slogans in support of the strike.
A delegation of lawyers, including Sumit Kumar Srivastava, joint secretary (admin); Abhijeet Pandey, joint secretary (library); Subhash Yadav, vice-president; and Awadhesh Mishra, member of the governing council, visited the courtrooms urging judges not to proceed with any matters, as lawyers were abstaining from judicial work.
The Supreme Court collegium had confirmed on Monday that Justice Varma’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court would proceed despite facing an inquiry over the alleged discovery of a large sum of cash from his official residence, from which he was relieved of judicial duties.
Speaking to the media, HCBA president Anil Tiwari clarified that the protest was not personal but was aimed at defending public trust in the judicial system. “If corruption in the judiciary is allowed to continue, it will set a dangerous precedent, where mafias will run the courts,” Tiwari remarked. He emphasized that the protest was directed at the corruption within the judicial system, and not against any specific court or judge.
The HCBA is demanding the reconsideration and cancellation of Justice Varma’s transfer. Tiwari added that while the lawyers were boycotting work, they were not obstructing any judge from holding court or preventing litigants from accessing the courts.
In a further escalation, the HCBA decided to close the photo affidavit center, which resulted in the suspension of new case filings. This move followed the inability to issue necessary coupons required for filing cases or applications.
In addition to the transfer issue, the Bar has called for the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to recommend impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma. On Monday, the HCBA passed a resolution urging the CJI to allow the registration of an FIR and initiate a CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the alleged discovery of the substantial cash sum from Justice Varma’s official residence on March 14.
Oudh Bar Association to Join Protest
Meanwhile, the Oudh Bar Association (OBA) in Lucknow announced it would abstain from work on March 28 in solidarity with the HCBA’s protest over Justice Varma’s transfer. The OBA also planned to discuss the matter with the central government and the CJI. The association’s executive committee passed a resolution demanding Justice Varma’s impeachment to prevent further erosion of public trust in the judiciary.
OBA General Secretary Manoj Kumar Dwivedi shared that Bar Association President RD Shahi had discussed the issue with presidents of 22 bar associations across the country. The OBA’s stance is not just against the transfer but also calls for a review of Justice Varma’s judgements during his tenure at both the Allahabad and Delhi High Courts.
