Supreme Court Today (Mar 21) launched inquiry after unaccounted cash is found at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence. Firefighters accidentally uncovered the money during a house fire.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India today started an internal investigation, called an in-house inquiry, against Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court. This step was taken after a large amount of unaccounted cash was found at his house.
Apex Court constitutes 3-judge in-house committee to enquire into allegations against Delhi HC Judge Yashwant Varma.
This serious situation came to light after a fire broke out at the judge’s residence. According to media reports, the fire brigade reached the house to control the fire, and during their work, they found a huge pile of money. This unexpected discovery has raised many questions.
Following this, the Supreme Court has asked for a detailed report from the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya.
According to reports,
“A fire at the judge’s house had inadvertently led to the recovery of cash by the firefighters, media reported.”
This shocking incident brought the matter into public attention.
After this, the Supreme Court Collegium, which is a group of senior judges responsible for appointments and transfers of judges, decided to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma back to his original High Court, the Allahabad High Court.
However, all judges of the Supreme Court gathered for a full court meeting on Friday morning. In this meeting, many judges expressed their opinion that just transferring the judge would not be enough. They said that strong and proper action must be taken to maintain the dignity of the judiciary and people’s trust in the court system.
Because of this, an internal investigation has now officially started. The process to transfer Justice Varma is still going on, but it has not yet been approved by the central government.
On the same day, Justice Yashwant Varma did not attend the court. His court staff informed in open court that he was on leave.
Justice Yashwant Varma was born in the year 1969. He completed his law degree (LLB) from Rewa University, located in Madhya Pradesh. He began his legal career in 1992 after enrolling as an advocate. He worked in several important legal roles. He was appointed as special counsel for the Allahabad High Court and also served as the chief standing counsel for the Government of Uttar Pradesh. His long experience and legal knowledge helped him grow in his profession.
In the year 2013, he was given the title of Senior Advocate, which is a big achievement for any lawyer in India. He was then appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court in October 2014. After showing good work and gaining more experience, he was made a permanent judge in February 2017. Later, he was transferred to the Delhi High Court. He officially took charge of his duties in Delhi on 11th October 2021.
This case has now become a big topic of discussion in the legal world and among the general public. It also brings into focus the accountability and transparency expected from members of the judiciary. Many people are now watching closely to see what action will be taken next and how the justice system handles such serious matters involving its own members.
BACKGROUND
The Supreme Court Collegium decided to transfer Justice Yashwant Verma from the Delhi High Court back to his parent High Court Allahabad. Sources informed that this decision came after a significant amount of unaccounted cash was found in his official bungalow last week during the Holi holidays.
The cash discovered following a fire in the building, which prompted family members of the judge who was out of the city at the time to call emergency services, leading to police involvement.
Upon learning of the situation through official channels, the Collegium, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, opted to transfer Justice Verma.
Also Read: SC Collegium Recommends Two Judicial Officers For Appointment as Patna High Court Judges
Indira Jaising is a senior Indian lawyer and human rights activist known for her work in constitutional law, women’s rights, and judicial accountability remarked,
“A retired Sessions Court judge who convicted Sanjeev Bhatt is now being considered for a High Court appointment. Meanwhile, a High Court judge is found with a ‘pile of cash’ in his burning house. Have we lost the independence of the judiciary?”
As of now, Justice Verma has not commented on the cash discovery. Sources indicated that the Chief Justice viewed the situation very seriously, and the five-member Collegium agreed unanimously on the decision to transfer Justice Verma.
However, sources indicated that some members of the Collegium believed stricter measures were necessary to protect the judiciary’s reputation, which could significantly impact its ability to deliver justice to the public.
There was discussion about potentially asking Justice Verma to resign.
If he were to decline, some members suggested that the Chief Justice could initiate an internal inquiry, which would be the first step toward possible removal by Parliament.
In 1999, the Supreme Court established guidelines for addressing allegations of corruption, misconduct, and judicial irregularities involving judges of the Constitutional Court.
According to these guidelines, upon receiving a complaint, the Chief Justice first seeks a response from the judge in question. If the Chief Justice is not satisfied with the reply or believes further investigation is warranted, he will form an internal committee.
This committee is composed of one Supreme Court judge and two High Court Chief Justices. Once the committee submits its report, if the Chief Justice determines that the alleged misconduct is serious enough to warrant removal, he will request the judge to resign. Should the judge refuse, the Chief Justice will then notify the government to initiate removal proceedings through Parliament, as stipulated in Article 124(4) of the Constitution.
Article 124(4) of the Indian Constitution deals with the procedure for the removal of a Supreme Court judge. It states that:
- A Supreme Court judge can be removed only by an order of the President.
- The removal must be based on proved misbehavior or incapacity.
- This order must be passed after an address by Parliament, supported by a special majority (a majority of the total membership of each House and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting).
This provision ensures judicial independence by making it difficult to remove judges without strong and justified reasons.
Would You Like Assistance In Drafting A Legal Notice Or Complaint?
CLICK HERE
Click Here to Read Our Reports on CJI Sanjeev Khanna
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
