‘Cash Discovered at Judge’s Residence’: CJI Reviews In-House Inquiry Report as HC Roster Maintains Justice Yashwant Varma’s Position
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Synopsis
Recently, an in-house inquiry report concerning a fire incident at the residence of Delhi HC Judge Yashwant Varma has been reviewed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna. Despite ongoing speculation regarding cash found at his home, Justice Varma's name remains active on the Delhi High Court's roster, while the Supreme Court clarifies the transfer decision is unrelated to the inquiry.
Key Takeaways
- CJI Sanjiv Khanna is reviewing an in-house inquiry report regarding the March 14 fire incident.
- Justice Yashwant Varma's name remains on the Delhi High Court Roster.
- Any found evidence can lead to formal impeachment proceedings.
- The Supreme Court clarified Justice Varma's transfer is unrelated to ongoing inquiries.
- Justice Varma was previously linked to a CBI FIR regarding a sugar mill fraud.
New Delhi, March 22 (NationPress) Critical details regarding the March 14 fire event and the ensuing developments at the home of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma have allegedly been included in an in-house inquiry report currently being examined by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna related to the purported ‘cash at home’ incident.
The report was presented by Delhi HC’s Chief Justice, D.K. Upadhyay, late on Friday, reconstructing the sequence of events and the information collected by firefighters and other first responders.
The outcomes of the in-house investigation are crucial as the established procedure indicates that if credible evidence of misconduct against a judge is discovered, it may initiate a formal impeachment process.
Despite recommendations for Justice Varma's transfer to the Allahabad High Court and ongoing speculation regarding the recovery of unaccounted cash at his residence, his name remained on the Delhi High Court’s Roster for judges scheduled to sit from March 17, 2025.
In the Roster, Justice Varma’s name appears alongside Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar under Division Bench-III, which addresses writ petitions contesting the constitutional validity of any Act, Statutory Rule, Regulation, or Notification related to Municipal Tax. This Bench is also tasked with matters concerning Sales Tax and GST.
Moreover, the Advance Cause list of the High Court for March 24, published on the official website, indicated 45 matters expected to be taken up on Monday by DB-III presided over by Justice Varma. On Friday, the day the alleged ‘cash at home’ was reported, Justice Varma did not report to his office.
In light of the ongoing speculation, the Supreme Court clarified that Justice Varma’s recommended transfer to the Allahabad High Court was unrelated to the alleged cash discovery at his official residence. The court emphasized that the transfer decision was made independently of the current inquiry into the matter.
The Chief of Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Atul Garg, on Friday refuted claims attributed to him regarding a statement that no cash was found during firefighting activities at Justice Varma's residence.
In a related matter, reports have suggested that Justice Varma was previously named in a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR filed in 2018 concerning an alleged sugar mill bank fraud dating back to 2011-12.
The CBI initiated an FIR against Simbhaoli Sugar Mills, its directors, and others, including Yashwant Varma, who was then a non-executive director of the company. This case stemmed from a complaint lodged by the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), accusing the sugar mill of defrauding the bank of nearly Rs 98 lakh via a fraudulent loan scheme.
The FIR registered by the CBI in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, against the firm was quashed by the Supreme Court in March last year, disagreeing with the Allahabad High Court's decision to order a probe by the federal agency into the matter. The apex court, however, stated that actions by other agencies could be taken, if deemed necessary.
