New Delhi, March 24 (NationPress) The Delhi High Court on Monday updated the roster for judges, removing Justice Yashwant Varma from his judicial responsibilities following a directive from Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna. This move is linked to an investigation into the alleged discovery of cash at his residence, prompting two Congress MPs to file Adjournment Motion notices in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, calling for an urgent discussion on the issue.

A notification released by the HC’s Registrar on Monday stated, “In light of recent developments, Justice Yashwant Varma is relieved from judicial duties with immediate effect, pending further orders.”

The notice, shared on the Delhi High Court website, continued, “The Court Master of Hon'ble DB-III will provide dates for the matters scheduled before Hon'ble DB-III today.”

According to the roster, the Justice Varma-led Division Bench (DB-III), which included Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, was responsible for sales tax cases, GST issues, Letters Patent Appeals, regular First Appeals (Original Side), Company Appeals, and matters for the Commercial Appellate Division, among others.

Currently, at the Delhi High Court, Justice Varma is the second senior-most judge handling writ petitions that contest the constitutional validity of laws, rules, regulations, or notifications concerning municipal taxation.

In a related matter on Monday, Congress MPs Renuka Chowdhury from the Rajya Sabha and Manickam Tagore B from the Lok Sabha submitted Adjournment Motion notices regarding the ‘cash at judge’s home’ scandal, pressing for immediate discourse on the critical issue.

Chowdhury, under Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, emphasized that the “disclosure raises questions about judicial integrity and transparency, which are vital for public trust.”

She stated, “The nation deserves to know why such a significant amount of money was found at a judge’s residence.”

The MP further added, “Despite the Supreme Court's order for an inquiry, there’s an urgent requirement to discuss judicial reforms and accountability in this scenario.”

In his notice, Manickam Tagore noted, “The circumstances surrounding this finding are deeply questionable and warrant immediate discussion.”

“Given the serious ramifications for public confidence in the judiciary, the government must offer clarity and assurances regarding this matter. It's crucial that this issue is thoroughly examined, and the truth revealed for the people of India,” he said.

On Sunday, the CJI-appointed probe committee, alongside other investigators, visited the home of Delhi’s Chief Fire Officer Atul Garg to gather information about the incidents that unfolded on the night of March 14, when charred ₹500 currency notes were discovered during a firefighting effort at the outhouse of Justice Varma's bungalow on Tughlak Road in Central Delhi.

Additionally, a petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court requesting that the Delhi Police file an FIR to ensure a thorough investigation into the allegations that a significant amount of burnt cash was found at the outhouse of Justice Varma.

Questioning the failure to file an FIR on March 14, the petition, lodged by advocate Mathews Nedumpara, pointed out that the authorities’ delay in releasing electronic records has raised suspicions about a potential cover-up.

Previously, Justice Varma denied any misconduct and informed the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court that the images showing a pile of burnt cash at his destroyed outhouse seemed to be “a conspiracy to frame and tarnish” him.

“I was completely taken aback by the content of the video, as it depicted something that was not present on-site as I had observed. This led me to conclude that this clearly appeared to be a conspiracy to frame and malign me,” stated Justice Varma in his written response.