Justice Yashwant Varma cash row: Top cop visits home with team, will inspect room where fire broke out

A Delhi Police team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) on Wednesday visited the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma in connection with the investigation into the alleged discovery of cash, a PTI report quoting official sources, said.

The alleged cash discovery happened following a fire at Varma's Lutyens Delhi residence at around 11.35 pm on March 14, prompting the fire officers to rush to the spot. The team will reportedly carry out an inspection of the place where the fire occurred and may question staff working in the judge's residence.

SC refuses urgent hearing of plea seeking FIR

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused an urgent mentioning of a plea seeking a direction to Delhi Police to lodge an FIR in connection with the case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna was urged by lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara that the plea be listed for urgent hearing before a bench as it pertained to larger public interest.

The CJI, who has stopped the practice of oral mentioning of cases for urgent listing, said that the plea would come up.

On Tuesday, the three members of a Supreme Court-appointed in-house committee visited the residence of Justice Varma, as it commenced its inquiry into allegations.

In the wake of the controversy, the apex court Collegium recommended the repatriation of Justice Varma, who was de-rostered by the Delhi High Court following a directive from CJI, to his parent, Allahabad High Court.

On March 22, the CJI constituted the three-member committee to conduct an in-house inquiry into allegations and decided to upload the inquiry report of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay of the Delhi High Court in the incident. It included photos and videos of the alleged discovery of a huge stash of cash.

What the plea said

A plea was filed by Nedumpara and three others on Sunday seeking a direction to police to lodge an FIR in the matter.

The plea also challenges the 1991 judgement in the K Veeraswami case, in which the top court ruled that no criminal proceedings could be initiated against a judge of the high court or the top court without the prior nod of the Chief Justice of India.

Justice Verma's response

In his response given to Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice DK Upadhyay, Justice Varma ‘unequivocally’ denied the allegations against him. He said neither he nor his family members ever placed cash in the storeroom and that the suggestion that this “cash was kept or stored by us is totally preposterous.”

Allahabad HC lawyers on indefinite strike

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association on Tuesday began an indefinite strike to protest against the proposed transfer to the high court in Prayagraj of Delhi HC judge Yashwant Varma, who faces a probe after the discovery of a huge amount of cash from his residence.

Separately, the Oudh Bar Association (OBA) of the Lucknow bench of the High Court urged the Centre to return the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation to transfer the judge. It also demanded impeachment proceedings against him to "curb further damage to public faith" in the judiciary.

Leading the Allahabad High Court Bar Association's protest at gate number 3 of the high court bench in Allahabad, its President Anil Tiwari told reporters their agitation was not against any court or a judge but "against those who have betrayed the judicial system".