In New Delhi, the Supreme Court’s decision to transfer Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma was largely influenced by a video that appeared to show a large amount of cash found in his house. This video was reportedly shared with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna before a meeting of the Supreme Court’s senior judges.
The video was filmed by police during a fire at Justice Varma’s house on March 14. When firefighters arrived, they discovered stacks of cash stored in a room while assessing the fire damage. This footage quickly reached high-ranking government officials, causing serious concern.
Once Chief Justice Khanna reviewed the video, it became clear that action needed to be taken to protect the reputation of the judiciary. The Supreme Court collegium, which includes several other justices, agreed with him, leading to the recommendation that Justice Varma be transferred back to the Allahabad High Court, where he was originally appointed.
Justice Varma was not in Delhi during the fire; his family members called for help when the incident happened. Now, the Supreme Court is considering whether to launch an in-house investigation into the matter. If allegations of wrongdoing arise, the Chief Justice will ask the judge for a response. If unsatisfied, he can form a committee to look into it further, which could even lead to the judge being removed.
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