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'Premature': SC refuses to entertain plea on cash discovery at HC judge Yashwant Varma's house
The Supreme Court cited ongoing in-house inquiry and called the plea over cash discovery at HC judge Yashwant Varma's house ‘premature’.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking the registration of an FIR and an investigation into the reported discovery of cash at the official residence of Delhi high court judge Yashwant Varma.
The Supreme Court cited ongoing in-house inquiry.
According to the Supreme Court’s cause list for Friday, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan heard the matter.
On Wednesday, a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna had declined an urgent hearing after lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara raised the issue.
Nedumpara, along with three others, filed the plea on Sunday, seeking a direction to the police to register an FIR regarding the alleged discovery. The petition also challenges a 1991 Supreme Court judgment in the K Veeraswami case, which ruled that no criminal proceedings could be initiated against a High Court or Supreme Court judge without the prior approval of the Chief Justice of India.
Cash haul at judge's house
The alleged discovery occurred after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s Lutyens Delhi residence at around 11:35 pm on March 14, prompting fire officers to rush to the scene.
On Tuesday, three members of a Supreme Court-appointed in-house committee visited Justice Varma’s residence to begin an inquiry into the matter.
Following the controversy, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended that Justice Varma be repatriated to his parent Allahabad high court. Justive Varma was also de-rostered by the Delhi high court on the directive of the Chief Justice of India.
On March 22, the Chief Justice of India formed a three-member committee to conduct an in-house inquiry and decided to upload the inquiry report, including photos and videos of the alleged cash discovery, on the Supreme Court's website.
Justice Varma has denied any allegations and stated that no cash was ever placed in the storeroom by him or his family members.
