Delhi HC Suspends Judicial Duties of Justice Yashwant Varma Amid Cash Controversy
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Synopsis
The Delhi High Court has suspended Justice Yashwant Varma's judicial duties amid controversy over the discovery of burnt cash at his residence following a fire. A three-member committee has been formed to investigate the allegations against him.
Key Takeaways
- Justice Yashwant Varma faces serious allegations.
- Investigation led by a three-member committee.
- Judicial duties suspended until further notice.
- Involvement of the Supreme Court in the inquiry.
- Justice Varma's legal background includes civil law practice.
New Delhi, March 24 (NationPress) The Delhi High Court has officially suspended the judicial duties of Justice Yashwant Varma, who finds himself at the center of a scandal regarding the alleged discovery of a significant amount of burnt cash in the storeroom of his residence in the national capital. This incident occurred after the fire brigade responded to a blaze on March 14.
The notice published on the Delhi High Court website stated, "In light of recent developments, the judicial responsibilities of Hon'ble Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma are withdrawn immediately until further notice."
Additionally, the notice issued by the Registrar (Listing) mentioned, "The Court Master of Hon'ble DB-III will provide dates for matters listed before Hon'ble DB-III today."
According to the roster, the division bench led by Justice Varma (DB-III), which included Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, handled various cases such as sales tax and GST cases, Letters Patent Appeals, regular First Appeals (Original Side), Company Appeals, and matters designated for the Commercial Appellate Division.
On Friday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna formed a three-member committee to probe allegations against Justice Varma and instructed the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court to refrain from assigning him any judicial responsibilities for the time being.
“The Chief Justice of India has established a three-member committee comprising 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 Delhi High Court,” said a statement from the Supreme Court.
A day earlier, the apex court clarified that the proposal to transfer Justice Varma, who ranks as the second senior-most judge in the Delhi High Court, back to his original court, the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, where he would be the ninth in seniority, is "independent and separate from the in-house inquiry procedure."
"The proposal was reviewed by the Collegium, which includes the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and four senior-most Judges of the Supreme Court on March 20, 2025. Following this, letters were sent to the consultee Judges of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justices of the relevant High Courts, and Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma. Responses received will be evaluated, and subsequently, the Collegium will issue a resolution," it stated.
Born in January 1969, Justice Varma earned a law degree from Rewa University and primarily practiced civil law, addressing a variety of cases related to constitutional, industrial disputes, corporate matters, taxation, environment, and related legal branches. He served as the Chief Standing Counsel for the State of UP from 2012 until August 2013, when the Allahabad High Court designated him as a ‘senior advocate’. Justice Varma was appointed as an Additional Judge in October 2014 and transferred to the Delhi High Court in October 2021. Currently, he is the second senior-most judge at the Delhi High Court, presiding over writ petitions that challenge the constitutional validity of laws, statutory rules, regulations, or notifications related to municipal tax.
