The Justice Yashwant Varma case involves allegations of misconduct and financial impropriety against the Delhi High Court judge. Here’s a summary:
- Allegations and Inquiry: Justice Yashwant Varma faced allegations after burnt currency was allegedly discovered at his residence following a fire . Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya recommended an in-house inquiry into the matter .
- Transfer: The Supreme Court Collegium recommended Justice Varma’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court . The transfer was later approved by the government .
- In-house Committee: A three-member committee was formed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to investigate the allegations against Justice Varma . The committee included Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, and Justice Anu Sivaraman .
- Judicial Work Withheld: The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court was instructed not to assign any judicial work to Justice Varma during the inquiry . After his transfer, the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court was also asked not to assign him any judicial work for the time being .
- Supreme Court’s Stance: The Supreme Court stated that the CJI has various options based on the outcome of the in-house inquiry, including registering an FIR or referring the matter to Parliament for removal . The court dismissed a PIL seeking an FIR in the case, stating that the in-house inquiry was in progress and it would be inappropriate to interfere .
- Key Questions: The inquiry is focused on how Justice Varma accounts for the money, its source, and who removed it from the room .
- Defense: Justice Varma has dismissed the allegations as a conspiracy to malign him .
