A fire broke out in the residential bungalow of a Delhi high court judge. This resulted in the recovery of a huge pile of cash. The news sent shock waves in judicial corridors. It forced the Supreme Court collegium, led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna, to decide to transfer him to another High Court. When the fire broke out, Justice Yashwant Varma was not in town. His family members called the fire brigade. They also called the police. After the fire was doused, first responders found a huge amount of cash inside a room. They recorded the official entries about the recovery of what appeared to be unaccounted money.
The local cops informed their seniors who briefed the brass about the accidental discovery. Soon, the news reached the higher-ups in the govt, who, in turn, informed the CJI about the hoard. CJI Khanna took a very serious view and immediately called for a collegium meeting.
Cash found during fire response leads to judge’s transfer
The collegium was unanimous that Justice Varma needed to be transferred immediately. He has been transferred to his parent High Court, Allahabad High Court. He had moved from there to Delhi High Court in Oct 2021.
However, some members of the five-judge collegium felt such a serious incident called for more than a transfer. They believed it would tarnish the judiciary’s image and erode trust in the institution. They said Justice Varma should be asked to resign. If he declined, the CJI should initiate an in-house inquiry. This would be the first step towards his removal by Parliament.
The in-house procedure was devised by SC in 1999. This procedure is used to deal with allegations of corruption, wrongdoing, or impropriety against constitutional court judges. The CJI, on receipt of a complaint, seeks the response of the judge.
He can set up the in-house probe panel. It will comprise an SC judge and chief justices of two HIGH COURTs. This can happen if he is not satisfied with the response. This can also happen if he concludes that the matter requires a deeper probe.
