In an unprecedented transfer, the Supreme Courtroom late on Saturday evening uploaded an in-house inquiry report on its web site, together with images and movies, into the alleged discovery of an enormous stash of cash at the residence of Delhi Excessive Courtroom decide Yashwant Varma.
As really helpful within the 25-page report, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna constituted an in-house committee to conduct an inquiry and requested Delhi Excessive Courtroom Chief Justice D Ok Upadhyaya to not assign any judicial work to Justice Varma.
The report comprises images and movies of the cash allegedly found at a storeroom at Justice Varma’s home throughout a firefighting operation on the evening of Holi, March 14. It additionally comprises his response.
Justice Varma has “unequivocally” acknowledged that no cash was ever positioned within the storeroom “both by me or any of my members of the family and (I) strongly denounce the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to us”.
He stated the allegations of cash discovery at his residence clearly gave the impression to be a conspiracy to border and malign him.
“The very thought or suggestion that this cash was stored or saved by us is completely preposterous,” he stated.
Judicial inquiry report
The inquiry report submitted by Delhi Excessive Courtroom Chief Justice D Ok Upadhyaya additionally contained materials with regard to official communication which says 4 to 5 semi-burnt stacks of Indian foreign money have been discovered.
“On analyzing the incident reported, the fabric obtainable, and the response of Justice Yashwant Varma, what I discover is that the Commissioner of Police, in his report dated Marg 16, 2025, has reported that as per the guard posted at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, the particles and different partially burnt articles have been faraway from the room the place the fireplace had damaged out within the morning of March 15, 2025.
“The enquiry carried out by me, prima facie, doesn’t reveal the opportunity of entry or entry to the room by any individual apart from these residing within the bungalow, the servants, the gardeners and CPWD personnel, if any.
The 25-page inquiry report contained the movies and pictures of the fireplace preventing operation at Justice Varma’s residence on Holi evening throughout which the cash was found.
| Picture Credit score: X/@ANI
“Accordingly, I’m of the prima facie opinion that the complete matter warrants a deeper probe,” Justice Upadhyaya stated in his report dated March 21 and made public Saturday evening.
The three-member inquiry committee fashioned by the SC earlier within the day consists of Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice of the Excessive Courtroom of Punjab and Haryana), Justice G S Sandhawalia (Chief Justice of the Excessive Courtroom of Himachal Pradesh) and Anu Sivaraman (Decide of the Excessive Courtroom of Karnataka).
“The Chief Justice of the Excessive Courtroom of Delhi in the intervening time has been requested to not assign any judicial work to Mr Justice Yashwant Varma,” a press release from the highest court docket stated earlier on Saturday.
The massive stash of cash was purportedly found after a hearth broke out at Justice Varma’s Lutyens’ Delhi residence at round 11:35 on the evening of Holi, March 14.
SC in-house inquiry
In a press release on Friday, the Supreme Courtroom stated the Delhi Excessive Courtroom chief justice had initiated an in-house inquiry in opposition to Justice Varma, and individually, there was a proposal to switch the decide to the Allahabad Excessive Courtroom.
“There’s misinformation and rumours are being unfold with regard to the incident at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma,” the assertion stated.
Upon receiving the knowledge, the apex court docket stated Justice Upadhyaya “commenced the in-house enquiry process, accumulating proof and knowledge”.
Justice Upadhyaya was acknowledged to have commenced the enquiry previous to a gathering of the apex court docket collegium on March 20.
The Supreme Courtroom had stated the proposal for transferring Justice Varma was examined by the apex court docket collegium comprising the CJI and the 4 senior-most judges on March 20 and thereafter, letters have been shot off to the consultee judges of the highest court docket and the chief justices of the excessive courts involved, moreover Justice Varma.
“Responses obtained can be examined and, thereupon, the collegium will go a decision,” the court docket stated.
Judiciary corruption allegations
The primary opposition Congress stated on Saturday that the incident raised critical issues and urged the Supreme Courtroom to take robust measures to uphold folks’s belief within the judiciary. It additionally stated the incident mustn’t give the manager a hand to manage judicial appointments in increased courts.
Congress basic secretaries Ok C Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala stated the incident has shocked the nation, together with the authorized fraternity.
Venugopal stated the nation is wanting in direction of the Supreme Courtroom for robust measures, whereas Surjewala stated the highest court docket should discover solutions on judicial accountability.
The Delhi Excessive Courtroom web site exhibits Justice Varma was enrolled as an advocate on August 8, 1992. He was appointed as a further decide of the Allahabad Excessive Courtroom on October 13, 2014.
He took oath as a everlasting decide of the Allahabad Excessive Courtroom on February 1, 2016, earlier than being appointed as a decide of the Delhi Excessive Courtroom on October 11, 2021.
He’s presently heading a division bench that offers with circumstances of gross sales tax, the Items and Companies Tax (GST), firm appeals, and different appeals on the unique aspect.
The highest court docket has an in-house inquiry mechanism for coping with allegations in opposition to judges of constitutional courts.
The process entails the CJI, after a preliminary inquiry, forming a committee of three Supreme Courtroom judges to investigate into the matter after in search of the response of the decide involved. Based mostly on the panel report, additional motion could possibly be taken.
A decide of a constitutional court docket can solely be faraway from workplace by means of an impeachment movement handed by Parliament.
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