Delhi HC judge Yashwant Varma stripped of judicial duties
What's the story
Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma has been relieved of his judicial duties with immediate effect till further orders.
The decision was taken by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya on the recommendation of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna.
The move comes after a huge amount of cash was recovered from Justice Varma's residence after a fire.
Investigation underway
Inquiry committee formed to probe cash discovery
CJI Khanna has already formed a three-member inquiry committee to look into allegations surrounding the huge cash recovered from Justice Varma's house.
The committee comprises Chief Justice Sheel Nagu (Punjab & Haryana High Court), Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia (Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Karnataka High Court judge Anu Sivaraman.
"The Report submitted by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi, response of...Varma, and other documents, are being uploaded on the Supreme Court website," the top court said.
Controversial fire
Allegations stem from fire incident at Justice Varma's residence
The controversy involving Justice Varma erupted after a fire broke out at his Tughlak Road official residence on March 14.
Though the Delhi Fire Services doused the fire within minutes, they reportedly found huge amounts of cash from the storeroom, some of which was charred.
At the time, Justice Varma and his wife were in Bhopal.
Transfer recommendation
Supreme Court collegium unanimously recommended transfer
On 20 March, the SC collegium unanimously recommended transferring Justice Varma back to his parent HC in Allahabad.
However, during discussions, some members argued merely transferring him was not enough and demanded an immediate in-house inquiry.
One judge even insisted on stripping Justice Varma of his judicial duties immediately, while another advocated a formal investigation to ensure institutional accountability.
Denial and defense
Justice Varma claims conspiracy behind cash discovery
In his defense, Justice Varma has refuted all allegations, claiming that the accusations are a conspiracy to malign and frame him.
He clarified the fire had broken out at an outhouse in the compound, which was used as a general dump room for disused articles and other sundry household articles.
"It is a room which is completely disassociated from my living areas and a boundary wall demarcates my living area from that outhouse," he said.