Six high court bar associations met the Supreme Court Collegium on Thursday to protest the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma from the Delhi to the Allahabad High Court, and present a list of four demands, including the start of a criminal investigation against the judge.
Anil Tiwari, the President of the Allahabad association, said the Collegium, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, gave them a patient hearing, and said they would consider their demands.
He did not, however, say if the association - which earlier rejected the transfer, declaring their court is not a "trash bin" - will call off the general strike that they began Tuesday morning.
"We made four demands. First, the transfer should be cancelled. Second and third, judicial and administrative work should not be given (to Justice Varma, pending a complete inquiry). And fourth, a criminal investigation should begin immediately," Mr Tiwari said.
The senior lawyer played down talk of being dissatisfied with the Collegium's response, saying, "... if I were not satisfied, I would have made such a statement before the media. But I am satisfied. Whatever I wanted to communicate to the Chief Justice I have done that..."
"The Collegium listened carefully and said 'each point raised will be considered... don't worry at all'. This is a big statement by five senior judges," he also told reporters after the meeting.
But on calling off the strike, he only said, "A strike is not the decision of one person."
"Going on a strike is the decision of 35,000 lawyers who form the General Assembly (of the Association). This decision was taken by them. As President, it is my duty to communicate this latest development... and then they will take a decision," Mr Tiwari told NDTV.
The Association, he said, understands its responsibilities - to the judiciary and the people.
"I am a positive man. My feeling is that since the Chief Justice has said he will take a decision, I say we should wait for that decision," Mr Tiwari concluded.
Justice Yashwant Varma is the judge at whose home burnt bundles of cash were found - in an outhouse on the grounds of his bungalow - after a fire was put out on Holi.
Four to five bundles of burned cash were reportedly recovered.
He has distanced himself and his family from the money, and spoken of a "conspiracy" against him.
READ | "Preposterous...": Justice Yashwant Varma On Cash Recovery Claims
His transfer was ordered last week and he has been removed from active judicial duty.
The Supreme Court - which has acknowledged the gravity of the issue and the impact on the people's faith in the judiciary - earlier delinked Justice Varma's transfer to Allahabad from the money,
It has, though, set up an in-house inquiry by a committee consisting of the chief justices of the Haryana and Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka High Courts. This was after a Delhi High Court report was made public - an unprecedented act - to ensure transparency in these proceedings.
That committee has already taken steps, which includes sealing the outhouse where the money was found and speaking to Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg, who was initially quoted by the media as saying no money was found. He later said he had never made such a statement.
The committee also inspected Justice Varma's home in central Delhi.
READ | "Sorry...": Court Nixes Urgent Hearing Plea In Delhi Judge Cash Case
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused an urgent hearing for a petition seeking directions to Delhi Police to take over the investigation into the burnt bundles of cash.
The petitioners also challenged the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court-appointed committee.
The Chief Justice-led bench said it would hear the plea but not on an urgent basis.
The recovery of the cash has also led to a political discussion, with the union government on Tuesday night reaching out to all political parties to hear their views and concerns.
READ | On Judge Cash-At-Home Row, Centre Calls All-Party Meet: Sources
This was after Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar's met various party reps, including those from the Congress, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool, Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, and the Shiv Sena faction led by ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
With input from agencies
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