Cash discovery row: Justice Varma files petition in SC challenging his indictment

Sitting High Court Judge, Justice Yashwant Varma has petitioned the Supreme Court challenging his indictment by the three-member in-house committee in the cash-discovery row. The writ petition filed before the Apex court also sought to quash the communication forwarded by then Chief Justice of India  Sanjiv Khanna to the President and then Prime Minister to take action against Justice Varma. As per the petition, the in-house panel acted in a pre-determined manner and denied Justice Varma a fair opportunity to defend himself. 

The petition has been filed before the Supreme Court at a time when the government is reportedly preparing to initiate removal proceedings against



Justice Varma, with an impeachment motion likely to be tabled during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. 

The then Delhi High Court Judge, Justice Varma is at the centre of controversy surrounding the alleged discovery of a huge pile of cash from the storeroom at his residence in New Delhi. Following the cash-discovery episode, Justice Varma was repatriated to the Allahabad High Court and an in-house probe was set up to probe the allegations. According to the probe committee report, both direct and electronic evidence confirmed that the storeroom was under the covert or active control of Justice Varma and his family.