My suggestion to Justice Yashwant Varma: Justice Katju

Some people thought I was trying to protect Justice Yashwant Varma, the judge of the Delhi High Court because I knew him and his family well, but all I said was that no one should be condemned unheard, and in law, there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

I sent a WhatsApp message today to Justice Varma, suggesting that he write to the CJI and request that he grant permission for the police to investigate him so that the truth can come out.

Justice Katju writes to Justice Varma

The following is the WhatsApp message I sent to Justice Varma this morning at 8:55 AM:

"Yashwant, I heard on the internet that the Allahabad High Court Bar Association has decided to approach the CJI and request him to give permission to file an FIR against you."

"I suggest you write a letter to the CJI and yourself and ask him to grant such permission so that the police may investigate and the truth be known to all."

"Please also release copies of your letter to the media."

Context

A fire that erupted in the home of a Delhi High Court judge led to the discovery of a significant amount of cash, causing a stir within judicial circles and prompting the Supreme Court collegium, chaired by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, to decide on his transfer to another high court.

At the time of the incident, Justice Yashwant Varma was out of town, and his family members contacted the fire department and police. Once the fire was extinguished, first responders uncovered a large sum of cash in one of the rooms, which raised concerns about the legitimacy of the funds.

Local police notified their superiors, who subsequently briefed higher authorities about this unexpected find. The information quickly reached government officials, who informed the Chief Justice about the cash hoard. CJI Khanna responded with urgency, convening a collegium meeting to address the situation.

The collegium reached a consensus that Justice Varma should be transferred without delay, moving him back to his original court, the Allahabad High Court, from which he had transitioned to the Delhi High Court in October 2021.

However, some members of the five-judge collegium expressed concern that merely transferring Justice Varma would not only damage the judiciary's reputation but also undermine public trust in the institution. They suggested that he should be asked to resign, and if he refused, an internal inquiry should be initiated by the Chief Justice as a preliminary step toward potential removal by Parliament.