Judicial Work Withdrawn
The Delhi High Court has withdrawn judicial work from Justice Yashwant Varma following a controversy surrounding the recovery of a large amount of cash from his residence. The decision was formalized through a notice issued by the Registrar of the High Court on Monday.
The move came after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, on March 22, directed the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court to refrain from assigning any judicial work to Justice Varma. “In view of the recent events, judicial work from Hon’ble Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma is withdrawn with immediate effect till further orders,” the High Court notice stated.
Cash Discovery After House Fire
The controversy erupted after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s residence on March 14. During firefighting operations, authorities reportedly discovered unaccounted cash. A video of burnt cash being recovered was also allegedly shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
At the time of the incident, Justice Varma and his wife were traveling in Madhya Pradesh. His daughter and aged mother were present at home when the fire occurred.
Repatriation to Allahabad High Court
Following the revelations, the Supreme Court Collegium decided to repatriate Justice Varma to his parent High Court, the Allahabad High Court. Additionally, the Chief Justice of India initiated an in-house probe on March 21, forming a three-member committee to investigate the allegations.
Supreme Court’s Response
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also published a report from the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on the incident, along with Justice Varma’s response. The ongoing inquiry is expected to determine the implications of the recovered cash and its impact on Justice Varma’s judicial role.
