Justice Yashwant Varma Cash Row: CJI Forms 3-Member Panel For In-House Probe, Bars Him From Judicial Work
CJI Khanna forms a 3-member committee to investigate allegations against Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma, barring him from judicial work during the inquiry.
Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has constituted a three-member committee to conduct an in-house inquiry into allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court. The committee comprises Punjab & Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Judge Anu Sivaraman.
According to an official press release on Saturday, the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court has been directed not to assign any judicial work to Justice Varma while the inquiry is underway. The Supreme Court has also made available the report submitted by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya, Justice Varma’s response, and other related documents on its website.
Justice Varma, 56, is at the centre of a controversy following reports of a large sum of cash allegedly discovered at his official residence in Lutyens’ Delhi after a fire incident on March 14. The fire, which broke out at around 11:35 pm, led to the deployment of Delhi Fire Services (DFS) personnel to douse the flames.
Supreme Court Clarification On Justice Varma’s Transfer To Allahabad HC
Following speculation linking Justice Varma’s transfer to the cash recovery allegations, reports claimed that the discovery of the cash prompted the Supreme Court collegium to consider transferring Justice Varma to another high court. The Supreme Court issued a clarification, stating that the transfer decision was independent of the in-house inquiry. The apex court revealed that its collegium, comprising the CJI and four senior-most judges, had examined Justice Varma’s transfer on March 20 and initiated consultations with relevant high court chief justices and consultee judges.
The controversy has sparked strong reactions within the legal fraternity, with many calling for Justice Varma’s resignation. Senior advocate Vikas Singh termed the matter "very serious" and urged the judge to step down. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi called for a thorough in-house inquiry, while Indira Jaising insisted that the Supreme Court collegium should provide full disclosure of the facts.
The Delhi High Court Bar Association has strongly opposed Justice Varma’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court, stating, “We were taken aback that the Supreme Court has transferred Justice Yashwant Varma back to Allahabad High Court… The High Court is not a trash bin.” The association, in a resolution signed by its president Anil Tiwari, alleged that Rs 15 crore in unaccounted cash was found at the judge’s residence.
The incident also found an echo in the Rajya Sabha, where Congress MP Jairam Ramesh raised concerns over judicial accountability. Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar assured that a mechanism for a structured discussion on the matter would be explored. The Congress has insisted that merely transferring Justice Varma is insufficient, with party leaders demanding answers on the source of the alleged money. The BJP, meanwhile, refrained from commenting, stating that the judiciary was already seized of the matter.
Justice Varma, who was appointed to the Delhi High Court on October 11, 2021, was previously a permanent judge of the Allahabad High Court. As per the Supreme Court’s in-house inquiry mechanism, allegations against constitutional court judges are examined by a panel of three Supreme Court judges. Based on the findings, further action may be taken. However, a judge can only be removed through an impeachment motion passed by Parliament—a process that has never been completed in India’s history.
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