CJI’s probe panel visits high court judge Yashwant Varma’s house
In-house inquiry into Justice Yashwant Varma intensifies as a three-judge panel inspects his residence following cash discovery amid controversy.
The in-house inquiry into the controversy surrounding justice Yashwant Varma gained momentum on Tuesday as the three-judge panel visited his official residence in Delhi from where a large amount of cash was discovered on March 14. The committee, constituted by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, reached justice Varma’s residence at 1 pm and spent around 45 minutes inspecting different areas of the house. The judges who arrived in separate vehicles, were seen instructing officials to take photographs and videos of the premises.
This visit came a day after the Supreme Court formally communicated the panel’s mandate and remit, setting the stage for the probe. The panel is expected to hold its first official sitting on Wednesday, as first reported by HT on March 24. Following the visit, the committee is likely to summon justice Varma to seek his explanation regarding the discovery of a large amount of cash at his residence.
The three-member committee comprises justice Sheel Nagu, chief justice of the Punjab & Haryana high court; justice GS Sandhawalia, chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh high court; and justice Anu Sivaraman, judge of the Karnataka high court. The panel’s task is to examine the circumstances surrounding the cash discovery and assess whether justice Varma’s continuation as a judge is tenable.
According to people familiar with the matter, the in-house inquiry was fast-tracked as the CJI wanted to take the issue to its logical conclusion without delay. “It is usually within 48 hours of the Supreme Court’s formal communication that the panel commences work,” said a person aware of the developments.
The committee is expected to conduct its proceedings in Delhi, given that the place of occurrence, key witnesses, and officials involved are all in the capital. Its remit includes questioning justice Varma’s secretarial and security staff, examining the role of Delhi police and fire department officers, and overseeing the forensic examination of the judge’s call records, which have been ordered to be preserved by CJI Khanna.
To be sure, the committee is not empowered to initiate criminal prosecution. It will submit its findings to CJI Khanna, based on which recommendations will be made on whether further action, including a potential criminal investigation, is warranted.
This inquiry follows a turbulent week in the judiciary, beginning with a fire at justice Varma’s residence on March 14. Firefighters responding to the incident reportedly found large amounts of cash in a storeroom, some of which were charred. At the time, justice Varma and his wife were in Bhopal.
In a parallel development on Monday, Delhi high court chief justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay withdrew all judicial work from justice Varma, as per CJI Khanna’s directive. Later in the day, the Supreme Court collegium recommended repatriating justice Varma to his parent high court, the Allahabad high court. This recommendation is now pending approval from the Union government.
Justice Varma has denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations a “conspiracy to malign” him. He has asserted that neither he nor his family members had any knowledge of the money found at his residence, dismissing the claims as “totally preposterous.”
His transfer to the Allahabad high court has sparked resistance from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA), which has questioned whether the court is being used as a “dumping ground” for judges facing controversy. It has called for the judge to be impeached. “Lawyers of the high court bar association, Allahabad will go on an indefinite strike from Tuesday following justice Yashwant Varma’s transfer to Allahabad high court,” bar body chief Anil Tiwari told news agency PTI on Monday.
On Saturday, CJI Khanna set up the three-judge panel to investigate the allegations against justice Varma. The decision was taken by CJI Khanna following a recommendation by Delhi high court chief justice Upadhyaya for an in-house inquiry against justice Varma. In his report, released late by the Supreme Court, justice Upadhyaya said: “I am of the prima facie opinion that the entire matter warrants a deeper probe.”
The controversy reverberated in Parliament too. On March 21, in the Rajya Sabha, chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar responded to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh’s call for greater judicial accountability, stating that he would explore mechanisms for structured discussions on the issue. Dhankhar on Monday held a meeting with leader of the House JP Nadda and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, and lauded CJI Khanna, saying he initiated action in a “very impactful, transparent manner”.
