SC shares inquiry report, Justice Varma's refusal to resign with PM, President
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Photo: PTI
After a three-judge panel found merit in the allegations regarding cash being discovered at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna reportedly asked him to resign. However, Justice Varma refused.
In response, the CJI has forwarded the panel’s report, along with Justice Varma’s response, to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is understood to have recommended that the President begin the process to remove Justice Varma.
An official release Thursday said that the CJI, “in terms of the In-House Procedure, has written to” both President and PM “enclosing therewith copy of the 3-Member Committee report dated 03.05.2025 along with the letter/response dated 06.05.2025 received from Mr Justice Yashwant Varma, ” as reported by the Indian Express.
On March 22, CJI formed a committee to investigate allegations of cash being found following a fire at the residence of former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.
The committee included Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court; Justice G S Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman, a judge of the Karnataka High Court.
Justice Varma was sworn in as a judge of the Allahabad High Court on April 5. After receiving the committee’s findings, CJI Khanna wrote to Justice Varma on May 4, reportedly offering him the option to resign before taking further steps.
