New Delhi, May 8, (UNI) In a significant development, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Thursday forwarded the report of a Supreme Court-appointed three-member inquiry committee probing serious allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CJI also enclosed Justice Varma’s written response to the allegations, adhering to principles of natural justice.
The confidential communication, made under the Supreme Court’s in-house procedure, pertains to allegations surrounding the discovery of unaccounted cash following a fire incident at Justice Varma’s official residence in Lutyens’ Delhi on the night of March 14.
At the time, Justice Varma was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court before being elevated to the Allahabad High Court.
“The Chief Justice of India, in terms of the in-house procedure, has written to the President of India and the Prime Minister of India enclosing therewith a copy of the three-member committee report dated May 3 along with the letter / response dated May 6 received from Justice Yashwant Varma,” the Supreme Court stated in a press release.
Crucially, the press note does not explicitly mention that the Chief Justice has recommended Justice Varma’s removal. Sources say it was part of the confidential correspondence.
The inquiry committee was headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and included Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court.
The panel conducted a detailed investigation, examining evidence and recording statements of over 50 individuals, including senior officials such as Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora and the Chief of Delhi Fire Services, both of whom were among the first responders on the night of the fire.
The report was earlier shared with Justice Varma for his comments before it was forwarded to the President and the PM, maintaining transparency and fairness in line with the norms governing judicial accountability.
