New Delhi:
It is filed for “cheap publicity”, the Supreme Court remarked on Friday, refusing to hear a petition seeking FIR against the former judge of the Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma.
A huge row erupted after a pile of unaccounted cash was found at the then Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma’s official bungalow in the capital in March last year.
“Such petitions are filed for cheap publicity,” the top court said, dismissing the petition.
The petition, filed by Ghanshyam Upadhyay, argued that an in-house inquiry is insufficient in cases involving a cognisable offense, instead, the police should register an FIR and conduct a criminal investigation.
It sought a court directive for an investigation by an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the CBI, under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
The money was discovered after a fire broke out in the building and family members of the judge – who was not in Delhi at the time – called emergency services, who then called the police.
The then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, formed a three-member committee to probe the incident.
Justice Varma had strongly refuted allegations that a huge pile of cash was found at his house.
On March 23 last year, Justice Varma, who was appointed the Delhi High Court judge in October 2021, was removed from active duty.
The Supreme Court, during its meetings held on March 20 and 24, decided to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court.
Speaker Om Birla had constituted a committee to probe charges against the judge, after admitting a multi-party notice for his removal, setting in motion the process of impeachment of the Allahabad High Court judge.
Facing the prospect of removal by Parliament, Justice Yashwant Varma had already resigned as a judge of the Allahabad High Court.
However, President Droupadi Murmu is yet to accept the resignation of Justice Varma and the possibility of his impeachment is still open.
