Will the Supreme Court Address the Controversial Cash Discovery Linked to Justice Yashwant Varma?

New Delhi, June 26 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is set to deliberate on two significant petitions this Monday concerning the shocking cash discovery incident tied to Justice Yashwant Varma.

This hearing follows an unusual display of political collaboration, where 145 Members of Parliament from both the ruling and opposition factions submitted an impeachment request to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, calling for Justice Varma's removal.

One petition has been submitted by Justice Varma himself, contesting the findings from a three-member in-house inquiry committee established by the Supreme Court, which recommended his ousting under Article 124(4) of the Constitution.

In contrast, the second petition, filed by advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara and additional co-petitioners, urges the Delhi Police to file an FIR regarding the alleged discovery of burnt cash at an outhouse of Justice Varma’s official residence during his tenure at the Delhi High Court.

According to the computerized case status displayed on the apex court's website, both petitions are scheduled for consideration by a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih on July 28.

Justice Varma's writ petition seeks to annul the communication sent by former CJI Sanjiv Khanna to the President and then Prime Minister, recommending action based on the in-house committee’s conclusions.

Justice Varma asserts that the in-house panel acted in a “pre-determined manner” and did not afford him a fair chance to defend himself.

Meanwhile, advocate Nedumpara has reiterated for the third time that the Union government, responsible for the Delhi Police, must ensure the filing of an FIR.

Previously, the Supreme Court dismissed similar requests from Nedumpara: the first in March for an FIR and investigation into the cash discovery allegations, and again in May for Justice Varma's criminal prosecution.

Justice Varma faced scrutiny after the discovery of burnt cash at an outhouse of his official residence in New Delhi on March 14, which occurred after the fire brigade attended to extinguish a blaze.

This incident sent ripples through judicial circles, prompting Justice Varma's reassignment to the Allahabad High Court and initiating an in-house inquiry into the allegations.

The inquiry committee found substantial direct and electronic evidence indicating that the storeroom was under the covert or active control of Justice Varma and his family.

It concluded that the burnt cash was likely removed from the storeroom in the early hours of March 15, based on strong inferential evidence.

The three-member inquiry committee, which included Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, CJ G.S. Sandhawalia of the Himachal Pradesh HC, and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka HC, deemed the allegations serious enough to warrant impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma.

The committee determined that Justice Varma's misconduct was proven to be grave, justifying his removal under Article 124(4) of the Constitution.