Justice Yashwant Varma, caught with crores in cash, files a Supreme Court petition under the anonymous name ‘XXX’, challenging removal proceedings and in-house inquiry findings.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India is set to hear his petition challenging the in-house inquiry findings against Justice Yashwant Varma, all while he remains officially unnamed in court records.
The petition, listed as “XXX vs Union of India”, is scheduled to be heard on Monday by a bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih. Remarkably, the judge has filed his plea without disclosing his identity, a move typically reserved for sensitive cases.
What is the Controversy?
Justice Varma’s controversy began when large sacks of unaccounted cash were allegedly found at his official residence in Delhi. The incident sparked public outrage, and reports of the money being mysteriously burned or disappearing only deepened the scandal. Subsequently, he was repatriated from the Delhi High Court back to his parent High Court in Allahabad.
An in-house inquiry was initiated by the Supreme Court under its internal mechanisms, which found him guilty of misconduct. Based on this, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna made a recommendation on May 8 to the President and Prime Minister for Justice Varma’s removal from office.
Petition Without a Name: “XXX vs Union of India”
Justice Varma has approached the Supreme Court under the disguise of anonymity, seeking to:
- Quash the in-house committee report.
- Declare the then CJI’s recommendation unconstitutional.
- Prevent further steps toward his removal.
His petition’s use of “XXX” as a petitioner’s name has raised questions, especially since such anonymization is generally applied in highly sensitive cases involving vulnerable individuals.
Interestingly, his petition will not be the only one before the court on Monday. At serial number 59 on the same bench’s cause list is another PIL, this one filed by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara. It seeks registration of an FIR against Justice Varma to investigate the origins and fate of the recovered cash, its alleged burning, and eventual disappearance.
Meanwhile, political pressure is mounting. The Lok Sabha has admitted a motion to remove Justice Varma from office, a step requiring signatures from at least 100 MPs. The current motion reportedly has the support of over 150 Members of Parliament.
As per procedure under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968, the Lok Sabha Speaker is expected to write to Chief Justice B R Gavai this week, seeking the names of a Supreme Court judge and a Chief Justice of a High Court to be part of the three-member inquiry committee. The Speaker will also nominate a distinguished jurist to complete the panel.
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