In-house probe expedited, judge may depose today

The in-house inquiry into the controversy surrounding justice Yashwant Varma has been fast-tracked with an aim to wrap up proceedings within a week, according to people familiar with the matter, who added that justice Varma, in the eye of the storm following reported discovery of a large amount from his official residence in Delhi, is likely to meet the committee on Thursday to present his response to the allegations.

In preparation for his deposition, justice Varma met a team of lawyers on Wednesday to seek legal advice. Senior advocates Siddharth Agarwal and Arundhati Katju, along with some other advocates, visited justice Varma’s residence on Wednesday to discuss legal strategies. Sources indicate that justice Varma has reached out to another senior counsel to represent him before the panel, but confirmation from the counsel is awaited.

The three-member committee comprises justice Sheel Nagu, chief justice of the Punjab & Haryana high court; justice GS Sandhawalia, chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh high court; and justice Anu Sivaraman, judge of the Karnataka high court. The panel’s task is to examine the circumstances surrounding the cash discovery and assess whether justice Varma’s continuation as a judge is tenable.

According to one of the persons cited above, the in-house inquiry was fast-tracked as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna wanted to take the issue to its logical conclusion without delay. “The panel comprises three judges, including two chief justices, from three different high courts. They intend to conclude the proceedings within a week, following which they should take a few days to finalise the report with recommendation, to be submitted to CJI Khanna,” said this person.

The in-house inquiry into the controversy gained momentum on Tuesday as the three-judge panel visited justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi. The committee, drawn up by the CJI, spent around 45 minutes inspecting different areas of the house. The judges, who arrived in separate vehicles, were seen instructing officials to take photographs and videos of the premises. This visit came a day after the Supreme Court formally communicated the panel’s mandates and remits, setting the stage for the probe.

The committee is expected to conduct its proceedings in Delhi, given that the place of occurrence, key witnesses, and officials involved are all in the capital. Its remit includes questioning justice Varma’s secretarial and security staff, examining the role of Delhi police and fire department officers, and overseeing the forensic examination of the judge’s call records, which have been ordered to be preserved by CJI Khanna.

To be sure, the committee is not empowered to initiate criminal prosecution. It will submit its findings to CJI Khanna, based on which recommendations will be made on whether further action, including a potential criminal investigation, is warranted.

This inquiry follows a turbulent week in the judiciary, beginning with reports about what transpired following a fire at justice Varma’s residence on March 14. Firefighters responding to the incident reportedly found large amounts of cash in a storeroom, some of which were charred. At the time, justice Varma and his wife were in Bhopal.

Justice Varma has denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations a “conspiracy to malign” him. He has asserted that neither he nor his family members had any knowledge of the money found at his residence, dismissing the claims as “totally preposterous.”

His transfer to the Allahabad high court has sparked resistance from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA), which has questioned whether the court is being used as a “dumping ground” for judges facing controversy.