An in-house committee established by Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, commenced its investigation today into the incident involving the recovery of a significant amount of cash at the residence of Supreme Court Justice Yashwant Varma. This probe follows a fire at Justice Varma’s home, which unexpectedly led to the discovery of the cash.
The committee, composed of three esteemed members—Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice GS Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court—visited Justice Varma’s residence at approximately 1 PM. Their visit lasted around 45 minutes, marking a critical step in their investigative process.
This probe was instigated after a fire on the evening of March 14 at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence brought to light unaccounted cash by the firefighters responding to the incident. At the time of the fire, Justice Varma and his wife were traveling in Madhya Pradesh, leaving only his daughter and elderly mother at home.
The emergence of the cash has sparked allegations of corruption against Justice Varma, who vehemently denies these claims, suggesting instead that it might be a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation.
The Chief Justice of India swiftly responded by forming this committee on March 22 to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. In a move towards transparency, a video capturing the moment the cash was discovered was shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner with the judiciary, which has been subsequently published on the Supreme Court’s official website along with a detailed report from the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and Justice Varma’s formal response to the allegations.
