Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday formed a three-member committee to investigate the allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma from whose house a large stash of cash was allegedly discovered after a fire.
The members of the committee are: Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Justice G S Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, and Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka.
The CJI has asked Chief Justice of Delhi High Court D.K. Upadhyay not to assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Varma. Justice Upadhyay has already submitted a report to the top court based on the preliminary investigation into the allegations against Justice Varma.
#WATCH | On SC Collegium recommending transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma of Delhi HC to his parent High Court in Allahabad after an alleged adverse report against him, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi says, "The controversy has very serious ramifications. But from whatever I… pic.twitter.com/CDl2y11uVh
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2025
"The Report submitted by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi, response of Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma, and other documents, are being uploaded on the Supreme Court website," said a Supreme Court statement.
According to Live Law, the Supreme Court Collegium is also considering a proposal to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court—his parent high court.
The top court, however, said in a statement on Friday that the collegium is yet to make any recommendation regarding Varma’s transfer and the proposal is still under consideration.
A huge pile of cash was allegedly recovered when a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s house aroound 11.30 pm on March 14. The Delhi fire department rushed to the spot and doused the fire.
Justice Varma was enrolled as an advocate on August 8, 199 and was later appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court on October 13, 2014.
He took oath as a permanent judge of the Allahabad High Court on February 1, 2016, before being appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court on October 11, 2021.
