Today, On 24th March, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar called the handling of the Justice Yashwant Varma case “impactful and transparent” amid the ongoing controversy over unaccounted cash. On Monday evening, the Supreme Court Collegium formally approved Justice Varma’s transfer from the Delhi High Court to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. The decision now awaits final approval from the central government.
Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar praised Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Kumar and the Supreme Court for their management of the Justice Yashwant Varma controversy, which arose after a stash of burnt cash was found at the judge’s home during Holi.
Mr. Dhankhar remarked that the Chief Justice’s decision to release the comprehensive report from the Delhi High Court although with some names redacted was “a step in the right direction.”
He noted,
“For the first time since independence, a Chief Justice has made all material public without retaining anything with the court. Institutions like the judiciary and legislature serve the public best when they uphold public trust.”
Also Read: VP Dhankhar Calls Meeting on Judicial Accountability Over Delhi HC Judge Cash Case
He commended the Chief Justice for acting “in a very impactful (and) transparent manner” and urged all stakeholders to await the findings of the three-member panel investigating the matter.
He stated,
“I have indicated firmly that these steps taken by the Chief Justice of India are unprecedented,”
Adding that he had discussed the situation with JP Nadda from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition, respectively, in the Rajya Sabha.
Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar, who previously expressed his intent to collaborate with the BJP’s JP Nadda and Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge to facilitate a structured discussion in the Rajya Sabha, announced that this discussion would be scheduled soon.
On Monday evening, the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma from the Delhi High Court back to his original court at Allahabad was formalized and now awaits the union government’s approval.
This transfer followed the withdrawal of Justice Varma from active duty. Initially, the transfer was thought to be linked to the discovery of burnt cash, but the Supreme Court later clarified that the two issues were unrelated and that a separate investigation into the cash recovery would take place. Consequently, a three-member committee was established.
The controversy surrounding Justice Varma erupted last week after reports surfaced about a significant amount of cash being found at his residence by firefighters responding to a blaze on Holi, March 14. The Supreme Court subsequently ordered a report from the Delhi High Court, which included images of the burnt cash and was made public.
Justice Varma categorically denied any connection between himself or his family and the money, which was found in an outhouse on his bungalow’s property. He expressed being “shocked” by the situation, clarifying that the outhouse is “disconnected from the main residence” and is kept unlocked, allowing access to anyone on the grounds.
The emergence of the burnt cash was further complicated by conflicting statements from Delhi Fire Services Chief Atul Garg, who denied being quoted regarding a claim that no cash was found. When questioned about the misattribution.
Garg stated,
“I don’t know why,”
And mentioned that he had issued a clarification to the media.
Earlier, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has called a crucial meeting on Monday to discuss judicial accountability. This comes after concerns were raised over a large amount of cash allegedly found at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.
The meeting is scheduled for 11:30 AM and will include BJP leader and Leader of the House, JP Nadda, along with Congress leader and Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge. The agenda is to address constitutional and legislative concerns highlighted by Dhankhar in response to issues raised by Congress MP Jairam Ramesh.