Top Jurist Harish Salve Shreds Collegium System As Biggest Corruption Scandal Hits Indian Judiciary | Image:
Republic Digital
New Delhi: In a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred interview, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court and King’s Counsel, UK, Harish Salve spoke exclusively with Republic Media Network’s Editor-in-Chief on India’s biggest judicial corruption scandal. After a large amount of unaccounted cash was found at Justice Yashwant Verma’s residence on March 14, following a fire, Salve launched a scathing attack on the system, demanding accountability and urgent reforms. With the nation’s attention on the case, he exposed deep flaws within the judiciary, calling for immediate action to restore its integrity.
The controversy surrounding Justice Verma—appointed to the Delhi High Court in 2021—erupted during Holi last week when a fire broke out at his (Justice Varma) Delhi bungalow, requiring firefighters to intervene. While dousing the flames, they found a stash of cash and alerted the police. As the shocking revelation surfaced, the Supreme Court collegium led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna ordered Justice Verma’s transfer. For the unversed, Justice Varma took oath as Delhi High Court judge in October 2021. He was appointed as a judge in Allahabad High Court on October 13, 2014.
‘Trenchant Critic of Collegium System’
When asked about his initial observations and whether the collegium made the right decision in recommending Justice Verma’s transfer, Harish Salve, speaking to Arnab, once again delivered a scathing critique of the collegium system, calling it deeply flawed.
“I have been a trenchant critic of the collegium system, and this exposes yet another strong fault line in this whole construct by which the entire judiciary is administered,” Salve asserted, as India grapples with its biggest judicial corruption scandal. Notably, the Supreme Court Collegium has decided to transfer Justice Varma from the Delhi High Court to his parent Allahabad High Court on the allegations of recovery of huge cash from his residence in the National Capital.
Transfer Not an Acceptable Response, Says Salve
Salve strongly criticized the collegium’s decision to transfer Justice varma, calling it an unacceptable response. “Judges are like Caesar’s wives and must be above suspicion,” he asserted.
Drawing comparisons, he questioned the consequences if such a large sum of cash—₹50 crore or ₹20 crore—had been found in the possession of a civil servant or a minister, asserting that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would have taken immediate action.
Salve further argued that merely transferring an official suspected of wrongdoing shifts the problem from one court to another, rather than addressing the core issue. “No court is a dustbin where you send people of questionable character,” he said, slamming the move as inadequate and improper.
Further, coming down heavily on the collegium’
Read More