The Supreme Court on Friday refuted a recent newspaper report suggesting the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma, the second senior-most judge of the Delhi High Court, to Allahabad High Court following the alleged discovery of a large sum of cash at his residence. The Court condemned the "misinformation" and "rumours" circulating about the incident but did not directly confirm or deny the claim of a cash discovery.
In a media release issued by Additional Registrar and Public Relations Officer Rakesh Sharma, the Court stated that the proposal to transfer Justice Varma to Allahabad High Court was still under consideration by the Supreme Court collegium. The statement clarified that this transfer was unrelated to any ongoing "in-house enquiry" but did not specify the nature of the enquiry.
The controversial report had claimed that the Supreme Court collegium recommended Justice Varma's transfer to Allahabad High Court on March 20, following the discovery of cash at his home. According to the report, the cash was found by fire services personnel called to Justice Varma's residence after a fire broke out on March 14, while the judge was away from Delhi.
However, there were questions about the delay in registering a police case, with Delhi police yet to file an FIR nearly a week later. The Supreme Court's statement referred to "misinformation and rumours" but did not elaborate on the exact incident, leaving key details unclear.
The statement further explained that the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court had initiated an in-house enquiry following the report of the incident, gathering evidence before the collegium meeting. The Chief Justice is expected to submit the enquiry report to the Chief Justice of India for review and further action.
Regarding the transfer of Justice Varma, the statement clarified that the decision was independent of the enquiry and had been examined by the Supreme Court collegium, which includes the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most judges. A final resolution will be made once all responses from concerned parties, including the Chief Justices of relevant High Courts, have been reviewed.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal weighed in on the situation, stressing that the allegations needed thorough investigation. However, he dismissed the idea of initiating impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma, pointing out that such efforts had been thwarted in the past due to political opposition.
In a related development, Delhi police sources revealed that a "routine general diary" had been registered regarding the fire at Justice Varma’s residence, but no FIR was filed as there were no injuries, nor was any cash formally recovered. Firefighters had reportedly noticed jute sacks that appeared to contain cash but were informed by the judge's staff that they held court papers and documents. Some firefighters allegedly filmed the sacks, which were subsequently sent to the Chief Justice of India.
Atul Garg, the Chief Fire Officer of Delhi Fire Services, denied claims made by a TV channel that he had denied the discovery of cash. He clarified that it was the police's responsibility to recover any items, not the fire department's.
Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association has expressed its opposition to Justice Varma’s potential transfer to their court, adding to the growing controversy surrounding the case.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)