Justice Yashwant Verma, who was recently transferred to the Allahabad High Court from the Delhi High Court, is under controversy for his refusal to vacate his government-allotted bungalow in Delhi. In his statement to the public reply to questions about his staying at the house,  he says, “I will keep coming back”. This triggered public and legal argumentation about judicial propriety, housing policy of the government, and privileges of office.

Cash Controversy

The official sanction for Justice Verma's transfer from the Central Government came on March 28th, 2025. This followed a recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium dated March 24th. The bench was moved by recent events involving a continuing internal inquiry, as unaccounted cash was found at Justice Verma's residence in Delhi. After a fire broke out at Verma's house on the night of March 14th, four to five semi-burnt sacks of Indian currency notes were discovered.

Firefighters responding to the emergency found these sacks of Indian currency that had been reduced to ash. Allegedly, a video of this finding was shared with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court by the Delhi Police Commissioner. Reports have shown Justice Verma and his wife travelling in Madhya Pradesh at the time of the accident, with their daughter and elderly mother present at home.

In response to this discovery, CJI Sanjiv Khanna ordered an internal inquiry on March 21st and appointed a three-member committee to look into it.

Legal Pushback

Justice Verma was sworn in as a judge in the Allahabad High Court on April 5th amidst this. The move was opposed by the Bar Associations of both Allahabad and Lucknow, which had earlier demanded that no oath should be taken. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court asking for a directive to the Chief Justice to cancel the ceremony of taking an oath. This PIL, filed by advocate Vikash Chaturvedi, mentioned the internal inquiry and the serious nature of the cash recovery. It will be heard on April 4th.

"Don't assign any judicial role to Justice Verma for the time being," ordered the Supreme Court of India to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. 

Debate and Controversy

Justice Verma’s comment, "I'll keep coming back," has gone entirely viral on social media, giving rise to debates among legal experts, public policy analysts, and common citizens about the ethical code of conduct in the Indian Judiciary.