Justice Varma Cash Row: In a major decision, the government may introduce an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma, who has been facing a heat in the cash row. According to reports, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju is likely to hold talks with all parties in this regard. This comes days after a committee constituted by then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna to probe the fire incident that occurred on March 14 at Justice Yashwant Varma’s Tughlak Crescent residence, raised serious doubts regarding Justice Varma’s conduct following the fire.
A recent report given to then-CJI Justice Khanna early this month highlights some “unnatural” behaviors regarding a fire at Justice Varma’s home. The report, submitted by a special panel, specifically points to how the fire site was cleaned up and Justice Varma’s delayed, seemingly unconcerned reaction.
The fire reportedly caused significant damage to a storeroom, destroying household items and even, it’s claimed, cash. However, Justice Varma’s explanation of what happened after the fire has drawn heavy criticism.
Justice Varma claims he wasn’t there during the fire. He says he cut short his Holi vacation and returned to Delhi only on the evening of March 15 because he was worried about his daughter and elderly mother, who were reportedly unharmed.
Despite the seriousness of the fire, Justice Varma didn’t personally inspect the site when he got back. According to the report, he stated he spoke with family members and staff to understand the situation, then went to a camp office. He apparently left his wife and daughter to go to the market. He explained that he avoided the site because he was told everything in the storeroom was destroyed. He only visited the site later, at 9:00 PM, after being prompted by the Personal Private Secretary to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
The report notes that Justice Varma’s decision to delay inspection and to stay away from the scene until summoned appears counterintuitive and inconsistent with genuine concern, sources said.
Further compounding suspicions is the fact that cleaning of the site reportedly took place without any specific instructions or supervision from Justice Varma, said the report. His claim of absence and lack of involvement in the cleanup, having only returned late the previous day, raises doubts about how the scene was managed and whether evidence may have been tampered with or removed, it said.