Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday set up a three-member committee to conduct an in-house inquiry into allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma after a large stash of cash was allegedly found at his official residence following a fire. The CJI also directed that no judicial work be assigned to him during the probe.
The inquiry was ordered after the CJI received a report from Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyay. The committee comprises Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court.
Fire incident leads to cash stash discovery
The controversy erupted after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s residence in Lutyens’ Delhi on the night of Holi, March 14, around 11:35 p.m. Fire department personnel rushed to the scene and reportedly discovered a significant amount of cash while dousing the flames.
On Friday, the Supreme Court stated that the Delhi High Court chief justice had already initiated an in-house inquiry into the matter. Additionally, a proposal was under consideration to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court.
"There is misinformation and rumors being spread regarding the incident," the Supreme Court said, clarifying that Chief Justice Upadhyaya had already commenced the inquiry before the apex court collegium’s meeting on March 20.
Collegium examines transfer proposal
The Supreme Court collegium, comprising the CJI and four senior-most judges, examined Justice Varma’s transfer proposal on March 20. Letters were sent to consultees, including Supreme Court judges and high court chief justices.
"Responses received will be examined, and thereafter the collegium will pass a resolution," the apex court stated.
Political reactions and concerns over Judiciary’s integrity
The incident has sparked political reactions, with the opposition Congress party raising concerns over judicial integrity. Congress leaders K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala called for strict action to maintain public trust in the judiciary while warning against any executive overreach in judicial appointments.
Venugopal said the nation is looking to the Supreme Court for decisive action, while Surjewala stressed the need for judicial accountability.
Justice Yashwant Varma's background
Justice Varma enrolled as an advocate in 1992 and was appointed an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2014. He became a permanent judge in 2016 before being elevated to the Delhi High Court in 2021. He currently heads a division bench handling cases related to sales tax, Goods and Services Tax (GST), and company appeals.
Supreme Court’s in-house inquiry mechanism
The Supreme Court follows an internal inquiry process for allegations against constitutional court judges. After a preliminary review, the CJI forms a committee of three Supreme Court judges to investigate, following which further action is determined.
A sitting judge can only be removed through an impeachment motion passed by Parliament.
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