SC launches probe after massive cash found at judge's home
What's the story
The Supreme Court has launched an internal inquiry against Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma after a huge stash of unaccounted cash was found at his residence after a fire broke out.
The apex court has also sought a report from Chief Justice of Delhi HC Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, sources told Bar & Bench.
Incident details
Fire incident at Justice Varma's residence leads to cash discovery
The money was found in various rooms of the judge's bungalow while he was away.
After learning about the incident, the Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna decided to transfer Justice Varma to his original posting at the Allahabad HC.
Later, at a full court meeting of all SC judges on Friday morning, it was proposed that merely transferring Justice Varma wouldn't be enough.
Further action
Full court meeting suggests further action beyond transfer
The judges then unanimously decided on an internal probe into the matter; transfer was the first step.
The process for his transfer back to Allahabad HC is on, but it still needs government approval.
Amid the investigation, Justice Varma didn't hold the court on Friday, per Bar & Bench. His court staff announced in the open court that he was on leave.
Current status
Justice Varma on leave amid investigation
Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association has reportedly opposed his proposed transfer back to their High Court and has sent a letter expressing its opposition to the Chief Justice of India.
Born in 1969, Justice Varma earned his LL.B. degree from Madhya Pradesh's Rewa University before becoming an advocate in 1992.
He has served as special counsel for the Allahabad High Court and as chief standing counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh.
Posts
No response from Varma yet
He became a Senior Advocate in 2013 and was nominated as an additional judge of the High Court in October 2014. He was appointed permanent judge in February 2016.
He was later assigned to the Delhi High Court, where he will take office on October 11, 2021.
No response has yet been received from Justice Varma regarding the cash recovery.