Fire erupts at Delhi High Court judge's bungalow, crores in cash discovered

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A major revelation has come to light following a fire that broke out in the residential bungalow of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Verma. The incident has sent shockwaves through judicial circles after a large sum of cash was discovered at the scene. Justice Verma was not present in the city at the time of the fire, and his family members promptly alerted the fire brigade and police. Once the fire was under control, the fire brigade personnel found a significant amount of money in one of the rooms. This discovery was reported to local police, who subsequently informed higher authorities, sparking an investigation.

The news quickly reached Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjeev Khanna, who took immediate action by calling a meeting of the Supreme Court collegium. The collegium has unanimously decided to transfer Justice Verma to his parent High Court, Allahabad High Court, where he had previously served before being appointed to the Delhi High Court in October 2021.

While the transfer has been carried out, some collegium members have voiced concerns that this response may tarnish the judiciary’s reputation. They argued that limiting the matter to a mere transfer could undermine public trust in the institution. As a result, they have suggested that Justice Verma be asked to resign. If he refuses, the CJI should initiate an in-house investigation as outlined by the Supreme Court’s procedure from 1999. According to this process, if there are allegations of corruption, misconduct, or indiscipline against a judge, the CJI must first seek an explanation from the judge. If the response is deemed unsatisfactory, a panel comprising one Supreme Court judge and two Chief Justices from High Courts can be formed to investigate further.