NEW DELHI: Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna has constituted a three member Committee for conducting an inquiry into the allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting Judge of the High Court of Delhi, from whose official residence a large stash of cash was allegedly discovered after a fire.
The inquiry committee consists of Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Justice G S Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, and Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka.
The Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi for the first time has been asked not to assign any judicial work to Justice Varma, as per the Supreme Court release.
The CJI has constituted the committee after receiving the report submitted by Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court of Delhi in this matter.
The Supreme Court on Friday said that on receiving the cash recovery information, Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice Upadhyaya initiated the in-house enquiry procedure against him.
As per reports, a fire at the judge's house had inadvertently led to the alleged recovery of cash by the firefighter.
It is said the cash was found initially by fire tenders when the fire broke out in the judge’s residence on March 14. The judge was not present at his house when the fire incident took place.
Delhi Fire Services Chief Atul Garg, however, denied claims of the cash discovery by the firefighters.
The incident created ripples in the legal circuit, with many voices calling for the judge's resignation while criticising the Supreme Court collegium decision to transfer him.
The top court in a statement on Friday said the Delhi High Court chief justice had initiated an in-house inquiry against him and the proposal to transfer him to the Allahabad High Court was separate.