Justice Yashwant Varma Transferred After Fire Exposes Unaccounted Cash
A fire at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma has led to the discovery of large sums of cash, causing significant controversy. Following the incident, a Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna decided to transfer Justice Varma to another High Court.
Justice Yashwant Varma was not present in Delhi at the time of the incident. Family members informed the police and fire department about the fire. After the blaze was extinguished, firefighters discovered substantial amounts of cash stacked in a room, which authorities identified as unaccounted money not reported in income tax records.
Local police reported the findings to higher authorities, who then forwarded a report to the government. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna took the matter seriously and convened an urgent meeting of the Collegium. The Collegium unanimously decided to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court. Justice Varma had been serving at the Delhi High Court since October 2021, after transferring from Allahabad.
However, some Collegium members expressed concern that merely transferring Justice Varma would damage the reputation of the judiciary. They suggested asking him to resign and, if he refused, recommending his removal through parliamentary procedures.
The Supreme Court established a procedure in 1999 for investigating allegations against judges. According to this procedure, upon receiving a complaint, the Chief Justice seeks an explanation from the concerned judge. If the response is unsatisfactory, an inquiry committee comprising one Supreme Court judge and two High Court Chief Justices is constituted.
Justice Yashwant Varma was not present in Delhi at the time of the incident. Family members informed the police and fire department about the fire. After the blaze was extinguished, firefighters discovered substantial amounts of cash stacked in a room, which authorities identified as unaccounted money not reported in income tax records.
Local police reported the findings to higher authorities, who then forwarded a report to the government. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna took the matter seriously and convened an urgent meeting of the Collegium. The Collegium unanimously decided to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court. Justice Varma had been serving at the Delhi High Court since October 2021, after transferring from Allahabad.
However, some Collegium members expressed concern that merely transferring Justice Varma would damage the reputation of the judiciary. They suggested asking him to resign and, if he refused, recommending his removal through parliamentary procedures.
The Supreme Court established a procedure in 1999 for investigating allegations against judges. According to this procedure, upon receiving a complaint, the Chief Justice seeks an explanation from the concerned judge. If the response is unsatisfactory, an inquiry committee comprising one Supreme Court judge and two High Court Chief Justices is constituted.