Cash Scandal: Delhi HC Chief Justice reports to CJI Khanna
Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay submitted a report to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Friday. The report details findings from an in-house inquiry into the alleged discovery of cash at Justice Yashwant Varma’s official residence. The Supreme Court collegium will review the report and decide on further action.
Justice Upadhyay began the inquiry before the collegium met on March 20. The investigation followed reports of a cash pile found at Justice Varma’s Lutyens’ residence after a fire incident on March 14. Fire officials responded to a blaze at 11:35 pm, during the Holi festival. After extinguishing the fire, they reportedly found a large sum of cash. However, Delhi Fire Services Chief Atul Garg later denied that his team found any money.
Justice Varma did not attend court on Friday, according to his court master. He currently leads a division bench handling sales tax, GST, and company appeals.
The Supreme Court collegium addressed the matter, clarifying that the inquiry and a proposal to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court are separate. The collegium, led by the CJI and four senior judges, examined the transfer proposal on March 20. They sought feedback from consultee judges and the chief justices of the concerned high courts, as well as from Justice Varma himself.
The collegium dismissed misinformation and rumors about the incident. They will review the responses before passing a resolution on the transfer.
The incident has sparked controversy due to conflicting reports. While some sources claim cash was found, fire service officials deny the discovery. The inquiry and the collegium’s decision will determine the next steps.
