Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, who is facing allegations related to the discovery of burnt cash at his residence, met a team of senior lawyers on Wednesday in preparation for his appearance before a Supreme Court-appointed in-house inquiry committee.
According to sources, Justice Varma sought legal counsel from senior advocates Siddharth Aggarwal, Maneka Guruswamy, Arundhati Katju, and advocate Tara Narula at his Lutyens’ Delhi residence. The meeting comes ahead of the crucial inquiry that will determine his judicial future.
Supreme Court Inquiry into Justice Yashwant Varma Case
The three-member in-house committee, constituted by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, is expected to meet Justice Varma this week. The committee, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Sivaraman, visited Justice Varma’s residence at 30, Tughlak Crescent on Tuesday to commence its investigation. They remained inside the premises for approximately 30-35 minutes.
Burnt Cash Allegations Against Justice Varma
The inquiry follows allegations that “four to five semi-burnt sacks of Indian currency notes” were found at Justice Varma’s home after a fire broke out on March 14. The Supreme Court Collegium has since recommended Justice Varma’s repatriation to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. The Delhi High Court also de-rostered him following a directive from the CJI.
On March 22, CJI Khanna established the three-member inquiry panel and announced that the report from Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyay, which includes photos and videos of the alleged discovery, would be made public.
Justice Yashwant Varma’s Response
Justice Varma has categorically denied the allegations, asserting that no cash was ever placed in the storeroom of his house by him or any of his family members. The findings of the ongoing inquiry are expected to significantly impact his judicial career.
