SC Rejects Former Delhi HC Judge Yashwant Varma's Plea Over Burnt Cash Scandal, Refuses to Invalidate Inquiry Report
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a significant legal setback, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, refusing to declare the inquiry report against him as invalid. The petition was deemed non-maintainable by the apex court.
Justice Varma had challenged the findings of an internal probe committee that was formed after burnt currency notes were allegedly found outside his official residence in New Delhi on March 14, triggering a major controversy in judicial circles. He had also objected to the then Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Sanjiv Khanna’s recommendation to the President and Prime Minister for his removal from the post.
During the hearing, Justice Dipankar Datta of the Supreme Court clarified that the fundamental rights of the petitioner were not violated during the investigation process. The bench observed that the Chief Justice and the inquiry committee acted transparently and followed due procedure, including uploading of relevant photos and videos.
However, the court did mention that uploading the video evidence was not the ideal move, but no legal action was taken against it as it was not challenged in time. Since the issue was not raised earlier, the court stated that it could not now entertain that objection.
It is worth noting that the Supreme Court had earlier in March and May rejected separate petitions related to the same matter, including one demanding criminal action against Justice Varma. Following the scandal, Justice Varma was transferred to Allahabad High Court, and an internal committee was constituted to probe the incident.