New Delhi, March 22 (NationPress) Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has formed a three-member committee to investigate allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court, following the discovery of a significant amount of unaccounted cash at his home in the national capital.

According to various media sources, a substantial sum of cash was uncovered last week during a fire brigade's response to a fire at Justice Varma's residence.

“The Chief Justice of India has appointed a committee consisting of Mr Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Mr Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, and Ms Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka, to investigate the allegations against Mr Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the High Court of Delhi,” the Supreme Court stated.

Additionally, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court has been instructed to refrain from assigning any judicial responsibilities to Justice Yashwant Varma during this period.

“The report from the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice Varma's response, and other relevant documents are being made available on the Supreme Court's website,” the statement further elaborated.

On Friday, CJI Sanjiv Khanna received the report drafted by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court regarding the allegations against Justice Varma.

The apex court mentioned that CJI Khanna will review the report and proceed with necessary actions. The Supreme Court clarified that the proposal to transfer Justice Varma, who is the second senior-most judge in the Delhi High Court, to his original court, the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, where he would rank ninth in seniority, is “independent and separate from the in-house inquiry process.”

“The proposal was considered by the Collegium comprising the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court on March 20, 2025, and subsequent letters were sent to the relevant judges, chief justices of the concerned high courts, and Justice Varma. The responses received will be evaluated, after which the Collegium will pass a resolution,” it was stated.

Born in January 1969, Justice Varma earned his law degree from Rewa University and predominantly practiced in civil law, handling a wide range of cases concerning constitutional, industrial disputes, corporate, taxation, environmental, and other legal areas. He served as the Chief Standing Counsel for the State of UP from 2012 until August 2013, when he was designated a ‘senior advocate’ by the Allahabad High Court.

In October 2014, Justice Varma was appointed as an Additional Judge and transferred to the Delhi High Court in October 2021. Currently, he holds the position of the second senior-most judge at the Delhi High Court, addressing writ petitions that challenge the constitutional validity of laws, statutory rules, regulations, or notifications related to municipal taxes.

According to the latest roster, the division bench led by Justice Varma, which also includes Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, handles cases concerning sales tax and GST, Letters Patent Appeals, regular First Appeals (Original Side), Company Appeals, and matters reviewed by the Commercial Appellate Division, among others.