Justice Yashwant Varma case: Senior SC advocate calls incident 'extremely serious'

New Delhi: BJP leader and senior Supreme Court advocate Nalin Kohli on Sunday termed the case involving Justice Yashwant Varma a "serious matter" and stated that the Supreme Court has already launched an investigation.

On Saturday, the Supreme Court released a video, shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, which allegedly shows piles of burnt cash at the residence of Justice Varma.

The apex court also made public a press statement annexing the report submitted by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice Varma's response, and other related documents.

Commenting on the development, Kohli told IANS, "This is a very serious matter, extremely unfortunate. The videos that have now come to light, showing bundles of burnt currency, clearly indicate something is amiss. This shows the gravity of the issue, and questions will be raised."

He further stated that the Supreme Court has already formed an inquiry committee, comprising Chief Justice of Punjab-Haryana High Court Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court judge Anu Sivaraman, to investigate the matter thoroughly.

"In the meantime, Chief Justice of Delhi Devendra Kumar Upadhyay has submitted his report. Additionally, media reports indicate that questions are being raised about how this money came into possession," Kohli added.

Highlighting another significant aspect, he pointed out, "When High Court officials visited Justice Varma's residence, the house was empty, and nothing was found in the room. If the cash was visible in the first video but later disappeared, then who removed it? It is crucial that all these facts come to light."

He also noted that the Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and including Justices BR Gavai, Surya Kant, AS Oka, and Vikram Nath, is already reviewing the case.

"The truth must come out, and strict action should be taken against those involved in any wrongdoing at the earliest," he asserted.

Meanwhile, in his written response to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice Varma, who is facing allegations of unaccounted cash being found at his residence, has claimed that the visuals showing the burnt cash pile appeared to be "a conspiracy to frame and malign" him.

He further stated that the incident aligns with a series of recent events, including "unfounded allegations circulated on social media in December 2024," reinforcing his belief that he is being targeted.

IANS