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The in-house committee set up by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna is expected to begin its work this week, moving quickly to address the controversy surrounding the reported discovery of large amounts of cash at Justice Yashwant Varma’s official residence in Delhi.
According to sources familiar with the matter, a formal communication outlining the committee’s responsibilities was sent on Monday. “The committee is expected to commence its work this week, likely Wednesday, for the CJI is of the opinion that the matter needs to be taken to its logical conclusion without any delay,” said one source. Another added, “Typically, such panels begin their work within 48 hours of receiving communication from the Supreme Court.”
Who is on the Panel?
The three-member committee consists of senior judicial figures: Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court; Justice GS Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman, a judge of the Karnataka High Court. Their mandate is to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged cash discovery at Justice Varma’s residence.
Inquiry to Take Place in Delhi
Given that the incident occurred in Delhi and that all key witnesses and officers involved are based there, the committee is likely to conduct its proceedings in the capital. “The place of occurrence, witnesses, and officers are all from Delhi. It is in all likelihood that the panel will sit in Delhi to carry out its functions efficiently,” said a person close to the matter.
The panel has been given the authority to seek an explanation from Justice Varma regarding the cash allegedly found at his residence, question his secretarial and security staff, and interview officers from the Delhi Police and Fire Department. Additionally, it will oversee a forensic examination of Justice Varma’s call records, which CJI Khanna has ordered to be preserved.
Committee’s Role and Next Steps
To be clear, the committee will not be handling criminal prosecution. Instead, it will submit its findings to CJI Khanna. Based on the conclusions, recommendations will be made on whether Justice Varma should continue in his judicial role and whether the matter requires a criminal investigation.
This inquiry comes after a dramatic series of events in the judiciary, starting with a fire at Justice Varma’s official residence on March 14. Firefighters responding to the incident reportedly discovered large stacks of cash in a storeroom, some of which were charred. At the time, Justice Varma and his wife were in Bhopal.
Justice Varma Faces Immediate Consequences
On Monday morning, Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, withdrew judicial work from Justice Varma, following directives from CJI Khanna. Later in the day, the Supreme Court collegium passed a resolution repatriating him to his parent high court, the Allahabad High Court. However, this transfer still requires approval from the Union government.
The discovery of cash at Justice Varma’s official residence on Tughlak Road at around 11:35 PM on March 14 led to the current controversy. While the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) quickly extinguished the flames, first responders, including DFS personnel and possibly police officers, allegedly found large amounts of money inside the storeroom. Some of the cash was reportedly burnt.
Justice Varma Denies Wrongdoing
Justice Varma has strongly denied the allegations, calling them a “conspiracy to malign” him. He has insisted that neither he nor his family had any knowledge of the money and dismissed the claims as “totally preposterous.”
His transfer to the Allahabad High Court has sparked backlash from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA), which has openly questioned whether the court is being used as a “dumping ground” for judges facing controversy.
