Cash discovery row: Delhi HC initiating in-house probe, says SC

Following reports of alleged cash discovery from sitting Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varmarsquos official home the Supreme Court on Friday said the Delhi High Court chief justice had initiated an inhouse inquiry against him and the proposal to transfer him to the Allahabad High Court was separateThe purported discovery of a huge stash of cash happened following a fire at Varmarsquos Lutyens Delhi residence at around 1135 pm on March 14 prompting the Delhi fire department personnel to rush to the spot and douse itDelhi Fire Services Chief Atul Garg however denied claims of the cash discovery by the fire fighters The incident created ripples in the legal circuit with many voices calling for the judgersquos resignation while criticising the Supreme Court collegium decision to transfer himTo put to rest the supposed conjectures the top court issued a statement which read ldquoThere is misinformation and rumours being spread with regard to the incident at the residence of Justice Yashwant VarmardquoWhile confirming reports that the apex court collegium met to discuss the matter the top court said Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya would submit a report to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna in this matterUpon receiving the information the apex court said Justice Upadhyaya ldquocommenced the inhouse enquiry procedure collecting evidence and informationrdquoThe Supreme Court further said the proposal for transfer of Justice Varma who is the second seniormost judge in the Delhi HC to the Allahabad HC was ldquoindependent and separate from the inhouse enquiry procedurerdquoThe apex court said the proposal for transfer him was examined by the apex court collegium comprising the CJI and four seniormost judges on March 20 and thereafter letters were shot off to the consultee judges of the top court the chief justices of the high courts concerned apart from Justice VarmalsquoNot trash binrsquoThe Allahabad High Court Bar Association on Friday opposed the transfer of Delhi HC judge Justice Yashwant Varma saying it was not a ldquotrash binrdquoIn a resolution passed soon after the news of the judgersquos transfer by a Supreme Court collegium was reported the association said ldquoWe were taken aback that the Supreme Court has transferred Justice Yashwant Varma back to Allahabad High CourtrdquoThe resolution naming association president and senior advocate Anil Tiwari as the signatory claims that the discovery of the ldquounaccounted moneyrdquo from the judgersquos house was of ldquoR15 crorerdquoldquoThe Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the matter immediately and unanimously decided to repatriate Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad High Courtrdquo it said The statement added ldquoThe decision of the collegium raises a serious question as to whether the Allahabad high Court is a trash binrdquoAside from expressing concerns over Justice Varmarsquos transfer the statement referred to issues such as the shortage of judges there and the supreme court ldquotime and againrdquo censuring the high courtThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever