THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, May 7: Justice Yashwant Varma has been formally indicted by a high-level in-house committee probing the discovery of large sums of unaccounted cash at his Delhi residence, sources confirmed.
The report was submitted to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on May 4, prompting him to ask Justice Varma to resign. If he does not step down voluntarily, the matter is expected to be escalated to the President with a recommendation for impeachment.
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The committee, constituted by the CJI, comprised Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court’s Justice Anu Sivaraman. The panel began its inquiry on March 25 and concluded it in just over a month.
Justice Varma has reportedly been given until Friday, May 9, to respond to the CJI’s directive.
The controversy dates back to a fire incident at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence on March 14, which allegedly led to firefighters discovering bundles of cash. A viral video showed the cash burning in the blaze. Justice Varma, who was in Madhya Pradesh at the time, claimed the incident was part of a conspiracy to malign him.
Following the incident, the CJI set up the probe on March 22. Subsequently, Justice Varma was sent back to his parent court in Allahabad. However, the CJI withdrew his judicial duties for the time being.
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The Delhi Police Commissioner had shared the video footage with the High Court Chief Justice, after which the Supreme Court took the unusual step of publicly releasing the footage and initial reports, including Justice Varma’s written response. The judge continues to deny the allegations.
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association had earlier staged a protest against Justice Varma’s repatriation.
