New Delhi, 21 March (H.S.): A fire at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma led to the discovery of a significant amount of cash, creating a stir in judicial circles. At the time of the incident, Justice Varma was away, and family members alerted the fire brigade and police. When officials extinguished the blaze, they unearthed what appeared to be unaccounted money, prompting official documentation about the cash recovery.

Local police escalated this finding to their superiors, reaching the attention of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, who responded seriously by convening the Supreme Court collegium. The collegium unanimously agreed that Justice Varma should be transferred immediately, moving him back to his original court, Allahabad High Court, from which he had come to Delhi in October 2021.

However, some collegium members expressed concern that merely transferring him could damage the judiciary’s reputation and public confidence. They argued for Justice Varma’s resignation; failing that, they called for an internal inquiry led by the CJI, potentially leading to his removal by Parliament. According to the procedure established in 1999 for handling allegations against constitutional judges, the CJI could seek Justice Varma’s explanation and could form an investigative panel should further scrutiny be deemed necessary.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar