New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 21) refused to entertain a plea seeking registration of First Information Report (FIR) against Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma over alleged cash discovery from his official residence in Delhi following a fire at his residence at around 11.35 pm on March 14.
A bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, while taking note of an apex court press release dated May 8, said that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) has forwarded the in-house enquiry committee report along with the response of the judge to President and Prime Minister of India.
What did the apex court say?
“Before seeking the writ of mandamus, the petitioner will have to seek redressal of their grievance by filing representation before the appropriate authorities. Therefore, we decline to entertain this writ petition. At this stage it is not necessary to look into the other prayers,” the apex court said.
Advocate Mathews Nedumpara and three others filed the petition before the apex court seeking immediate initiation of criminal proceedings, saying the in-house enquiry committee found the against Justice Varma prima facie true.
Former CJI Sanjiv Khanna forwarded enquiry committee report to President, Prime Minister
Former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna forwarded the report of the in-house enquiry committee along with the response of Justice Varma to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Justice Varma refused to resign.
“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 three-Member Committee report dated 03.05.2025 along with the letter/response dated 06.05.2025 received from Mr Justice Yashwant Varma,” the press release by the Supreme Court said.
Three-member committee confirmed allegations of cash discovery against Justice Varma
The apex court-appointed three-member committee confirmed the allegations of cash discovery against Justice Varma in its inquiry report submitted on May 4 to former CJI Khanna, who had forwarded the said committee report to Justice Varma and had sought his reply.
Justice Varma was transferred to Allahabad High Court sans judicial work
Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya conducted a preliminary inquiry into the alleged cash discovery at official Delhi residence of Justice Varma, who was a judge at the Delhi High Court at that time. Justice Varma repeatedly denied the allegations in his response to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice.
Following the cash discovery controversy, judicial work was taken away from Justice Varma in the Delhi High Court and he was transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court sans judicial work.
