The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice DK Upadhyay, has ordered the immediate suspension of all judicial duties assigned to Justice Yashwant Varma.
The decision, effective immediately, will remain in place until further notice, as the court assesses the seriousness of a recent incident involving Justice Varma.
A fire broke out at Justice Yashwant Varma’s official residence on March 14, during which authorities discovered a significant amount of cash.
In response to the incident, the Delhi High Court issued a circular stating that Justice Varma will refrain from performing any judicial work until the completion of an ongoing investigation.
To manage the cases previously assigned to his bench, the court has instructed the court master of Bench 3 to take charge of scheduling new dates.
Three-Member Committee Formed To Investigate
In light of the incident, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjeev Khanna took swift action by forming a three-member inquiry committee on Saturday.
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The committee, tasked with investigating the allegations, includes Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, and Judge Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court.
CJI’s Questions To Justice Varma
CJI Sanjiv Khanna also raised specific questions for Justice Varma to address.
On March 21, CJI Khanna instructed Chief Justice Upadhyay to seek clarification on three critical points:
- How does Justice Varma explain the presence of cash in a room at his residence?
- What is the source of the money found in the room?
- Who removed the burnt money from the room on the morning of March 15?
Justice Varma’s Response
In response, Justice Varma provided a detailed explanation to Chief Justice Upadhyay. He clarified that the fire had occurred in a storeroom near the staff quarters of his residence.
Varma stated that employees typically used the room to store various items, including old furniture, mattresses, and gardening tools.
He further explained that the room remained unlocked and could be accessed from two points: one through the official gate and the other from the back door of the staff quarters.
Communication With The Delhi Police Commissioner
On the morning of March 15, the Delhi Police Commissioner informed Chief Justice Upadhyay about the incident. At the time, Chief Justice Upadhyay was in Lucknow.
The authorities are conducting the investigation into the matter, and they will keep Justice Varma’s judicial suspension in effect until they conclude the inquiry.
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