Opposition members in Parliament on Thursday raised the issue of the alleged discovery of cash from the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, with Congress MP Manish Tewari demanding that Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal make a statement in the Lok Sabha as to what actually transpired.

Bringing up the issue during the Zero Hour, Tewari said the reports about alleged aberrations in the judiciary have disturbed the conscience of all right-thinking citizens across the country.

However, it is too premature to apportion guilt or otherwise, he said. Tewari noted that Parliament is charged with the responsibility of exercising superintendence and oversight over the judiciary.

“While the Chief Justice of India has appointed an in-house inquiry, I think we should respect the process and wait for that report. However, in the meantime, the law minister should come to this House and must relay the chronology of events as they have transpired,” the Chandigarh MP said. “Nobody is saying that anyone is innocent or guilty. Nobody is trying to apportion guilt. Let the in-house inquiry process play itself out. But under articles of the Constitution and the Judge’s (Inquiry) Act, this Parliament has the responsibility of exercising that superintendence,” Tewari said.

Raising the issue, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said unaccountable money has been recovered from a judge of the Delhi High Court “Judges are also public servants like us. Why any investigation will not commence if a complaint of corruption is made against a judge irrespective of the fact that the chief justice of India grants permission or not,” he asked.

“Why the Lokpal will not be allowed to carry on an investigation when a complaint has come against a judge who is a public servant like us? This judge has been transferred from Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court...Allahabad High Court and Calcutta High Court cannot be dumping grounds. All corrupt judges being sent to Allahabad and Calcutta High Courts,” he said. Congress MP R Sudha also raised the issue during Zero Hour and said that an English daily published the story on the alleged incident about a week after the incident. “There have been curious developments since then. Fire service and police report to the Union (home) minister; when did he come to know, and why did he keep silent even though Parliament was in

session,” she asked.

“Why did fire chief make a statement that not a penny was recovered? Why attempt was made to save the judge?” the MP from Mayiladuthurai said.