New Delhi: The alleged recovery of a large amount of cash from the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma was raised in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he will explore a mechanism for a structured discussion on the issue.
During the morning session, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh brought up the matter, urging the Chair to address the need for judicial accountability. He also reminded Dhankhar about a pending notice regarding the impeachment of a judge from the Allahabad High Court.
Congress seeks judicial accountability
Ramesh referred to reports about the alleged cash haul at Justice Varma’s residence, calling it “shocking.” He pointed out that earlier, 50 MPs had submitted a notice to the chairman regarding certain remarks made by a judge from the Allahabad High Court.
“This morning, we have read about a shocking case of huge amounts of cash unearthed at the residence of a judge of the Delhi High Court,” Ramesh said.
He reminded the chairman that he had previously spoken about the urgency for judicial accountability and requested him to direct the government to propose measures for ensuring it.
“I request that you please make some observations on this and give necessary directions to the government to come up with a proposal for increasing judicial accountability,” he added.
Chairman’s response
Dhankhar expressed concern over the delayed exposure of the incident. He noted that if the same situation had involved a politician, bureaucrat, or industrialist, it would have become public knowledge immediately.
“What bothers me is that the incident happened but did not come to light immediately,” he said.
He emphasized the need for a transparent and accountable systemic response.
“And, therefore, systemic response, which is transparent, accountable, effective, I am sure will be on the way,” Dhankhar said.
The chairman announced that he would consult with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition to find a mechanism for a structured discussion on the issue during the session.
Judicial transfer
The Supreme Court Collegium reportedly decided to transfer Justice Varma from the Delhi High Court to his parent Allahabad High Court due to the allegations.
Meanwhile, a senior lawyer expressed pain and shock before the Delhi High Court over the alleged cash recovery. Justice Varma did not hold court on Friday.
On the impeachment issue, Dhankhar said he received a representation from 55 Rajya Sabha members. He informed the House that he had taken all necessary steps to verify the signatures.
“First mail was sent to all of them and the good thing is most of the members have responded positively, helping me perform my duty,” Dhankhar said.
However, he revealed that one member’s signature appeared twice, which the concerned member denied.
“Of the 55 members who signed the representation, a member’s signature appears on two occasions, and the member concerned has denied his signature,” he said.
The chairman urged the remaining members to respond to the verification emails promptly, assuring them that the process would not be delayed.
“Therefore, most of the members have cooperated. Those members who have not done so far, may please do it in response to the second mail sent to them. Then the process will not be delayed at my level, even for a moment,” he said.
Dhankhar stressed the need for a structured debate on judicial accountability. He said he would consult with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition to organize the discussion.
He highlighted that both the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition hold significant political positions, making their counsel essential. “We have, fortunately, the House is blessed, the Leader of the House who is also president of the ruling political party, Leader of the Opposition who is also the president of the main opposition party. So with these two very distinguished people being present in the house, I am sure their counsel and others will also come and then I’ll discuss,” Dhankhar said.
The chairman reiterated the need for Parliament to take effective measures against corruption in the judiciary, stating that a transparent and accountable system would prevent similar incidents in the future.
