The halls of justice at the Allahabad High Court have fallen silent.
In a dramatic show of defiance, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) launched an indefinite strike following the Supreme Court Collegium’s move to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad bench—his parent High Court. The protest, announced late on March 24, comes not just from disagreement over the transfer, but from deep discontent over timing, transparency, and an unfolding controversy that has the legal community on edge.
The Bar Association, voicing unified outrage, passed a resolution declaring they would completely withdraw from all judicial work until further notice. The decision, taken at a general assembly, accused the Collegium of ignoring local sentiment and bulldozing through with its transfer order despite earlier warnings from the Bar.
“The Supreme Court Collegium has overlooked our serious concerns and moved ahead with the transfer. We see this as a challenge to the dignity of the Bar,” the resolution said.
In a strong move to enforce the strike, the Association also announced the Photo Affidavit Centre would be shut indefinitely starting March 26, halting the filing of any new cases. Oath commissioners and government lawyers were quietly warned: cross the picket line, and consequences may follow.
This storm has been brewing since last week when unaccounted cash was allegedly discovered in an outhouse at Justice Varma’s residence, found by firefighters responding to a blaze. The incident sparked widespread speculation and corruption allegations, though Justice Varma has firmly denied wrongdoing, calling it a malicious attempt to smear him.
While the Chief Justice of India responded by forming a three-judge panel to conduct an in-house probe, the HCBA insists that such internal scrutiny isn’t enough. “Judges cannot sit in judgment over themselves,” a spokesperson said, voicing a sentiment echoed by many in the legal fraternity.
Fuel was added to the fire on March 22 when the Collegium reportedly took up the issue of Justice Varma’s transfer. By the evening of March 24, the transfer was made official—and the HCBA was ready.
A day earlier, the Association had even gone so far as to pass a resolution urging impeachment proceedings against the judge, underlining just how polarized and volatile the situation had become.
Now, with courtrooms closed and no end to the strike in sight, the HCBA is not just challenging a transfer—it’s testing the very balance of power between the judiciary and the legal community that serves it.
