The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a plea demanding a court-supervised investigation and the registration of a First Information Report into unaccounted cash found at the official Delhi quarters of former High Court judge Yashwant Varma.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe rejected the application brought forward by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay. During the hearing, the court described the petition as an improper use of judicial mechanisms intended primarily to gain publicity.
Dismissal of Legal Petition
The decision came after the petitioner contended that former judicial officers do not retain immunity from criminal prosecution after leaving office. Upadhyay asserted that stepping down from the judiciary does not erase potential criminal accountability regarding undisclosed wealth. Addressing the bench’s mention of a prior dismissed petition on the matter, Upadhyay stated that the earlier case was rejected because no formal complaint had been lodged at the time, whereas he had submitted an official complaint prior to filing the current plea.
Despite these arguments, the bench declined to entertain the request and formally dismissed the petition.
Parliamentary Proceedings and Resignation
The legal challenge follows the April 9 resignation of Justice Varma, who submitted his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu. Varma’s decision to step down came while he was facing corruption allegations and impeachment proceedings initiated by the Lok Sabha.
By resigning and stepping away from an inquiry panel established by the Lok Sabha, the parliamentary removal process against Varma was declared infructuous. Prior to his resignation, Varma was serving as an Allahabad High Court judge, having previously served on the Delhi High Court bench. His tenure was originally slated to end upon reaching superannuation on January 5, 2031.
Origins of the Controversy
The allegations against Varma originated from an incident on March 14, 2025, when a fire broke out at approximately 11:35 p.m. at his Lutyens’ Delhi residence during the night of Holi. Responding firefighters dispatched to extinguish the blaze uncovered burnt bundles of currency notes inside the premises, sparking the initial controversy and subsequent legislative inquiry.
