Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday directed Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court not to assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Varma, facing controversy. The CJI has constituted a three-member committee, as part of the in-house inquiry, to probe the allegations of cash found at official residence of Justice Varma.

The three-member inquiry committee consists of Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court), Justice GS Sandhawalia (Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal) Pradesh and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge of Karnataka High Court), said the statement from Supreme Court on Saturday evening.

The Supreme Court’s action came after Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya’s report to the CJI. The top Court also said that soon they will upload Chief Justice Upadhyay’s report and response of Justice Varma.

“The Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi for the time being has been asked not to assign any judicial work to Mr Justice Yashwant Varma. The Report submitted by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi, response of Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma, and other documents, are being uploaded on the Supreme Court website,” a statement from the top court said.

The purported discovery of a huge stash of cash happened when a fire broke out at Varma’s Lutyens Delhi residence at around 11.35 pm on March 14, prompting the Delhi fire department personnel to rush to the spot and douse it.  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 purported discovery of a huge stash of cash happened following a fire at Justice Varma’s Lutyens Delhi residence at around 11.35 pm on Holi night on March 14, prompting the Delhi fire department personnel to rush to the spot and douse it.

After a day-long turns and twists on Friday on the media reports of huge pile of cash found in the Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma’s home by the fire brigade, the Supreme Court had said misinformation and rumours were being spread over the incident. The top court which initiated an in-house inquiry on the matter said it is waiting for the report from Delhi High Court Chief Justice.

As the controversies broke out, by afternoon, Justice Varma took leave from work. The Supreme Court in a statement in the evening said the proposal for Justice Varma’s transfer to Allahabad High Court was independent and separate from in-house enquiry procedure.

The top court said upon receiving information, the Delhi High Court Chief Justice commenced an in-house enquiry procedure collecting evidence and information.

The High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya, who had commenced enquiry prior to March 20 collegium meeting, submitted a report to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna today itself, said the top court.

The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has opposed the transfer Justice Varma and said they may go for an indefinite strike against making the Allahabad HC as “trashbin.”

In a resolution passed soon after the news of the judge’s transfer by a Supreme Court collegium was reported, the association said, “We were taken aback that the Supreme Court has transferred Justice Yashwant Varma back to Allahabad High Court...”

The resolution, naming association president and senior advocate Anil Tiwari as the signatory, claims that the discovery of the “unaccounted money” from the judge’s house was of “Rs 15 Crore”. “Supreme Court has taken cognisance on the matter immediately and unanimously decide repatriate Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad High Court,” it said.

The statement added, “The decision of the collegium raises a serious question as to whether the Allahabad high Court is a trash bin?”

The matter was raised in the Parliament with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar saying he will find a mechanism for holding a structured discussion on the issue. Raising the issue in the morning session, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh also sought the Chair’s response on judicial accountability and reminded him about a pending notice regarding impeachment of a judge of the Allahabad High Court.

Opposition pointed out that earlier, 50 members of Parliament had submitted a notice to the chairman regarding certain remarks that were made by a judge of the Allahabad High Court. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said the Chairman himself has repeatedly spoken about the urgency for judicial accountability.

The senior Congress member also sought to remind Dhankhar that he had directed the Leader of the House on this issue.