Today, On 26th March, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has declined an urgent hearing on a plea seeking an FIR over cash found at a High Court judge’s residence. The Supreme Court advised petitioners to refrain from making public statements regarding the case. The discovery has raised concerns about judicial accountability and ethics. With the urgent plea rejected, the matter now awaits further legal proceedings.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court declined an urgent request to consider a plea urging the Delhi Police to file an FIR regarding the alleged discovery of semi-burnt cash at the official residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna heard the request from lawyer Mathews J. Nedumpara, who argued that the matter was of significant public interest.
The Chief Justice, who has stayed the practice of oral mentions for urgent listings, indicated that the plea would be addressed in due course. Nedumpara acknowledged the Supreme Court’s commendable efforts but stressed the necessity of filing an FIR.
The Chief Justice advised,
“Please refrain from making public statements,”
A petition submitted to the Supreme Court of India, requesting the registration of an FIR against Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court following the alleged discovery of illicit cash at his official residence.
Advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara brought the matter before Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
A co-petitioner noted that if a similar situation involved an ordinary citizen, multiple investigative agencies, such as the CBI and ED, would have pursued the case vigorously.
The Chief Justice stated,
“This is quite enough. The plea will be taken up accordingly,”
The plea, filed by Nedumpara and three others on Sunday, also challenges the 1991 judgment in the K. Veeraswami case, which ruled that no criminal proceedings against high court or Supreme Court judges could commence without prior approval from the Chief Justice of India.
During the proceedings, Chief Justice Khanna acknowledged that the petition was set for a hearing and urged caution regarding public statements related to the issue. In reply, Nedumpara stressed the necessity of filing an FIR against Justice Varma, praising the Chief Justice for his transparency in releasing related video records.
A co-petitioner pointed out the perceived inconsistency in how judicial figures are treated compared to others, noting that similar findings at a businessman’s residence would generally lead to immediate action from enforcement agencies.
Also Read: Justice Yashwant Varma Denies Cash Stash Seen In Video: “Conspiracy To Frame Me”
Previously, The Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) passed a resolution on Monday calling for the initiation of impeachment proceedings against Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma.
This resolution adopted during a meeting held on Monday afternoon, where the Bar Association expressed its firm opposition to any proposal from the Supreme Court Collegium regarding Justice Varma’s transfer back to the Allahabad High Court.
The Supreme Court bench decided not to engage in further immediate discussions but confirmed that the matter would be officially listed by the Registry shortly. This legal action contests the Chief Justice’s decision to initiate an in-house investigation by a three-judge panel instead of pursuing a standard criminal investigation.
The petition contends that the directive established by the Supreme Court in the landmark case of K. Veeraswami v. Union of India which requires consultation with the Chief Justice of India before initiating criminal proceedings against sitting judges of higher courts creates excessive judicial immunity, which is contrary to the public interest.
The petitioners argue that opting for an in-house inquiry instead of a formal police investigation undermines public trust and damages the reputation of the judiciary. They point to historical precedents involving judges implicated in criminal activities, highlighting the necessity for accountability that goes beyond internal reviews.
The petition seeks multiple outcomes, including a declaration that the discovered cash constitutes a cognizable offense, a directive for the Delhi Police to file an FIR, and a call for the government to implement strong measures against judicial corruption, such as reviving the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill.
Also Read: Notable Judgments by Justice Yashwant Varma: Delhi High Court
These developments followed the recovery of unaccounted cash from an outhouse at Justice Varma’s residence last week, after firefighters were called to extinguish a fire.
This incident sparked allegations of corruption against Justice Varma, who has denied the claims, asserting that it seems to be a conspiracy aimed at framing him.
On March 22, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) initiated an in-house inquiry and assigned a panel of three High Court judges to investigate the allegations against Justice Varma.
The controversy began after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s residence in Lutyens’ Delhi on March 14, around 11:35 PM. Fire department officials reached the scene and extinguished the fire. During this incident, a large sum of cash was reportedly discovered at his residence.
Following this, the Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, took swift action. The Delhi High Court also intervened and issued several directives, including the withdrawal of judicial responsibilities from Justice Varma.
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