Justice Yashwant Varma, Allahabad High Court
CJI Forwards Inquiry Report On Justice Yashwant Varma To President And PM, Apex Court Silent On Content
|The report of a 3-member committee probing allegations against the sitting judge was submitted to the President and Prime Minister along with Justice Varma’s response, following the discovery of unaccounted cash at his Delhi residence.
Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has written to the President of India and the Prime Minister, forwarding the report of a three-member committee constituted under the In-House Procedure to inquire into allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge, now in the Allahabad High Court.
However, the report is silent on the content of the Inquiry Report or the nature of the recommendation, if any, contained in the CJI's letter.
The Supreme Court of India, in a press release issued today, stated, “Chief Justice of India, in terms of the In-House Procedure, has written to Hon’ble the President of India and Hon’ble the Prime Minister of India enclosing therewith copy of the 3-Member Committee report dated 03.05.2025 along with the letter/response dated 06.05.2025 received from Mr Justice Yashwant Varma.”
The Committee comprised Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana; Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh; and Justice Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka.
The inquiry followed reports of the recovery of unaccounted cash, reportedly amounting to ₹15 crores, from Justice Varma’s official bungalow in Delhi. A fire had broken out at the residence, prompting family members to call the fire department and police. After the fire was extinguished, officials reportedly discovered the cash in one of the rooms.
Following the incident, the matter was placed before the Supreme Court, and the Collegium unanimously decided to repatriate Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court.
The matter now stands before the President and the Prime Minister for further consideration.