Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma from whose residence a large pile of cash was recovered was named in a CBI fraud case against the Simbhaoli Sugar Mills.
Justice Varma was one of the non-executive directors of the company which allegedly cheated a bank in a fraudulent loan scheme. The company was accused of submitting falsified KYC documents and siphoning off funds.
Who is Justice Yashwant Varma?
Justice Yashwant Varma was appointed a Delhi High Court judge on October 11, 2021. This came seven years after he was elevated to the judge's post at Allahabad High Court.
Varma earned his law degree from Madhya Pradesh and became an advocate in 1992. His focus areas were constitution, labour and industry, corporate and tax-related legislations. He became the special counsel for the Allahabad High Court in 2006 before being appointed an additional judge in 2014. He was elevated as a permanent judge at the Allahabad High Court on February 1, 2016.
He was posted on an administrative role at the Delhi High Court and was a member of more than 10 panels, including the Committee for Finance and Budgeting, Committee for Administrative and General Supervision etc. He also chaired the Committee of Delhi International Arbitration Centre and the Legal Services Committee.
Varma made headlines after a fire broke out at his official residence on March 14. When the fire brigade arrived, they found cash scattered on the premises. Following this, the Delhi Police informed the government and the Chief Justice of India, who has ordered an inquiry. Around ₹15 crore was recovered from the house.
The Supreme Court Collegium has trasferred Varma back to his parent court, Allahabad HC.