This move follows the visit of a three-judge committee, appointed by the Supreme Court, to Justice Varma’s official residence in the Tughlaq Road area. The committee spent nearly 45 minutes inspecting the room where the burnt currency notes were discovered.
NEW DELHI: The investigation into the discovery of partially burnt currency notes at the official residence of Delhi High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma, has gained momentum. On Tuesday, a team of Delhi Police officers from Tughlaq Road Police Station arrived at his residence to seal the area where the suspicious notes were found.
This move follows the visit of a three-judge committee, appointed by the Supreme Court, to Justice Varma’s official residence in the Tughlaq Road area. The committee spent nearly 45 minutes inspecting the room where the burnt currency notes were discovered.
According to sources, senior officers, including New Delhi DCP Devesh Kumar Malla, were present at the scene for approximately two hours. Based on the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed committee, the Delhi Police sealed the section of the house where the fire incident and the burnt notes were found.
Officials from the Delhi High Court, who were assisting the committee, were also present. The entire operation was “videographed for official records.”
Meanwhile, a petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court requesting the registration of an FIR against Justice Varma. The matter was brought before a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, which has agreed to hear the plea.
The petition questions the necessity of a judicial committee for the investigation, suggesting that the case should be handed over to the police.
It argues that “effective and meaningful measures are needed to tackle corruption at all levels of the judiciary.”
The petitioner further emphasized that if this incident had involved a businessman rather than a sitting judge, law enforcement authorities would have promptly launched a police investigation.
The court, in response, advised the petitioner “against making public statements on the issue” and assured that the matter would be listed for hearing soon.
The probe was triggered by a fire at Justice Varma’s house on the evening of March 14, during which firefighters inadvertently discovered unaccounted cash, as reported by the Times of India.
At the time of the incident, Justice Varma and his wife were traveling in Madhya Pradesh, while only his daughter and elderly mother were present at home. Allegations of corruption surfaced following the discovery, but Justice Varma has refuted the claims, asserting that the incident appears to be a conspiracy to frame him.
The Delhi Police Commissioner reportedly shared a video of the burnt cash recovery with the Chief Justice of the High Court, and the Supreme Court has since uploaded it on its website. Additionally, the Supreme Court has published a report from the Delhi High Court Chief Justice on the matter, along with Justice Varma’s response.
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