The Supreme Court of India has released an inquiry report into the alleged discovery of a large amount of cash at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma. The report, which includes photos and videos, was uploaded on the court's website. Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has formed an in-house committee to investigate the matter and has asked the Delhi High Court Chief Justice to not assign any judicial work to Justice Varma. Justice Varma has denied the allegations, claiming they are part of a conspiracy to frame him. The inquiry report, submitted by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice, has been made public and calls for a deeper probe into the incident. The incident has raised concerns about judicial accountability and has prompted the Congress party to call for strong measures to uphold public trust in the judiciary.
The Union government is considering an impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma, who was indicted by a Supreme Court-appointed probe panel after burnt cash was found at his residence. The government is likely to consult with opposition parties before moving forward with the motion, which would require a two-thirds majority vote in Parliament.
Government sources on Tuesday said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has begun consultations as part of efforts to get leaders of different parties on board for the impeachment motion against Varma following his indictment by a three-member probe committee constituted by the Supreme Court.
Lok Sabha will consider a motion to remove Justice Yashwant Varma due to a suspected corruption case, after a similar motion in Rajya Sabha was not admitted. The move follows a unanimous decision by political parties to address perceived corruption in the judiciary.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih observed it was pained to say that some of the observations made in the high court order depicted total insensitiveness and an inhuman approach.
'If it is not reversed, it will set a dangerous precedent.'
Officials aware of the procedure to appoint and remove Supreme Court and high court judges pointed out that while defending his case before lawmakers in any of the House, Justice Varma can announce that he is quitting and his verbal statement will be considered as his resignation.
In his farewell speech, retiring Allahabad high court Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker has alleged that his transfer from Chhattisgarh high court in 2018 when the collegium was headed by then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was done to 'harass' him.
Justices Rajesh Bindal and Aravind Kumar were administered oath during a swearing-in ceremony held in the Supreme Court premises.
The senior most among the five judges, whose names were officially announced by the Centre on Saturday, is Justice Mithal whose parent cadre is the Allahabad high court.
With the appointment of the five judges, the total number of judges in the apex court has risen to 32, two short of the full strength.
A fast track court in Muzaffarnagar has sentenced three people to death and another to seven years' imprisonment for the abduction and murder of a lawyer in 2019.
A video and inquiry report have raised questions about the Delhi Fire Services' claim that no cash was found at the official residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma during a fire incident on March 14. The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows fire fighters dousing flames on articles that appear to include half-burnt Indian currency notes. The Delhi High Court Chief Justice has initiated an in-house inquiry against Justice Varma and the Supreme Court has proposed his transfer to the Allahabad High Court.
Seventeen years after the cash-at-judge's door case rocked the judiciary, a special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Chandigarh on Saturday acquitted former Punjab and Haryana high court judge Nirmal Yadav and four others in the matter.
The Supreme Court collegium on Tuesday recommended to the Centre the names of Allahabad high court Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Gujarat high court Chief Justice Aravind Kumar for elevation as apex court judges.
The Committee of Management, Shahi Jama Masjid, moved the high court challenging the suit and the Sambhal court order which directed the survey through an advocate commissioner.
The bench expressed displeasure over the delay by the Centre in clearing recommendations for transfer of high court judges, saying "it is a very, very serious issue".
'As per the provisions under the Constitution of India, Hon'ble President of India has appointed the following Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court. My best to them: Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad HC and Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, Gujarat HC,' Law Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted.
The Supreme Court collegium has confirmed the transfer of Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma to his parent Allahabad High Court. This decision comes after an inquiry was initiated against Justice Varma regarding the alleged discovery of a large amount of cash at his official residence. The transfer recommendation was made public in a resolution uploaded on the Supreme Court's website. The alleged cash discovery occurred following a fire at Varma's residence in Delhi on March 14, 2025. The apex court collegium, headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, has also constituted a three-member inquiry committee to further investigate the matter.
The Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the Allahabad High Court's orders regarding the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, questioning the use of intemperate language against the Uttar Pradesh government and staying further proceedings.
After the conclusion of the ceremonial bench proceedings, the CJI met journalists in the apex court premises and said,
The Supreme Court questioned Justice Yashwant Varma regarding his plea to invalidate an in-house inquiry panel report that indicted him after a large amount of burnt cash was discovered at his official residence during his time as a Delhi High Court judge.
The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Thursday recommended the transfer of seven high court judges to different high courts in the country.
The three-judge panel headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court conducted the inquiry for 10 days, examined 55 witnesses and visited the scene of the accidental fire that started at around 11.35 pm on March 14 at the official residence Justice Varma, then a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court and now in the Allahabad High Court.
"The boy came from a marginalised background, could not pay the admission fees of Rs 17,500. He would have lost his admission had we not granted relief then. This is what has sustained me as a judge all these years," the CJI said.
Stepping up the heat on Justice Yashwant Varma, parliamentarians on Monday submitted notices to the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha for the removal of the Allahabad high court judge from whose residence in New Delhi burnt wads of currency notes were found.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday dismissed a plea against Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi's courtroom drama Jolly LLB 3 alleging mockery of judges and lawyers, noting the court was used to such mockery.
Supreme Court's Collegium headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana has recommended names of 13 advocates for elevation as the judges of the Allahabad High Court.
'If we stay silent now, we betray the very foundation of justice in this country.'
The Supreme Court questioned Justice Yashwant Varma's conduct regarding an in-house inquiry panel report that found him guilty of misconduct in a cash discovery row. The court raised concerns about his delayed challenge to the inquiry and the implications of the panel's recommendations.
The Rajya Sabha secretariat has verified the signatures of 44 of the 55 MPs who had signed a notice to bring a motion for the removal of Allahabad high court Judge Shekhar Yadav over his 'hate speech' even as Kapil Sibal and nine others were yet to verify their signatures.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is likely to announce the formation of an inquiry committee to probe the charges against Allahabad High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. A notice signed by 152 MPs was submitted to Birla on July 21.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a wife cannot be denied maintenance under Section 125 of CrPC merely because she is highly qualified or possesses vocational skills.
The Allahabad high court has set aside a lower court order mandating a man to pay maintenance to his estranged wife, observing that she earns her living and did not reveal the true salary in her affidavit.
The collegium, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, met on Thursday and its decision was uploaded on the apex court website.
'If the parliamentary committee's report does not find substantiated charges, the process ends.'
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Chief Justice of the Allahabad high court to nominate two additional district judges within ten days as observers to deal with the upkeep and maintenance of the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya.
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the proceedings before the Allahabad high court on suits related to the Sri Krishna Janambhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute, saying it will not be fair to interfere with the high court order without hearing both the sides.
The Supreme Court of India will hear a plea from the mosque management committee challenging an order rejecting its petition in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh on January 15. The Allahabad High Court had rejected the mosque committee's plea, stating that the religious character of the Shahi Idgah mosque needed to be determined. The case involves claims that the mosque was built after the demolition of a temple, a claim disputed by the mosque committee. The Supreme Court will now decide on the maintainability of the mosque committee's plea.
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted to announce the appointment of Justice Pankaj Mithal, Chief Justice, Rajasthan High Court; Justice Sanjay Karol, Chief Justice, Patna High Court; Justice P V Sanjay Kumar, Chief Justice, Manipur High Court; Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah of Patna High Court; and Justice Manoj Misra of Allahabad High Court as apex court judges.
