Opposition raises ‘cash at judge’s house’ in Parl; will have structured debate, says Dhankhar

The alleged recovery of unaccounted cash at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court during a fire incident echoed in Parliament on Friday. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, prompting Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to express shock and assure a structured discussion on the matter.

Who is Justice Varma?

Justice Yashwant Varma (56), enrolled as an advocate in 1992, appointed additional judge of the Allahabad HC in 2014 and took oath as a permanent judge in 2016

The judge, who courted controversy over alleged discovery of cash from his residence, was transferred to the Delhi HC in October 2021

“This morning, we read about a shocking case of huge amounts of cash unearthed at the residence of a judge of the Delhi High Court… I request that you please make some observations on this and give necessary directions to the government to come up with a proposal for increasing judicial accountability,” Ramesh said, seeking the Chair's response on the matter.

Expressing concern over the delayed reporting of the alleged cash recovery at Justice Varma’s residence, Dhankhar said, “What bothers me is that the incident happened and did not immediately surface.” He emphasised that if such an incident involved a politician, bureaucrat or industrialist, it would have drawn immediate attention, highlighting the need for a transparent and accountable systemic response.

“I will get in touch with the Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition and find a mechanism for a structured discussion during the course of the session, subject to their agreement,” Dhankhar said. He added that the presence of both the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition, who are also presidents of their respective parties, would facilitate a constructive dialogue.

Dhankhar also lamented the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision to declare the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act unconstitutional. He recalled that the NJAC Act, which aimed at reforming judicial appointments, had been passed by Parliament with near-unanimous support and endorsed by 16 state Assemblies.

“If the malaise had been dealt with, perhaps we would not have countenanced such kind of issues,” Dhankhar said, underscoring the need for judicial accountability and transparency. He expressed hope that a structured discussion in the House would pave the way for addressing these systemic challenges.

Meanwhile, Ramesh also raised the issue of a pending notice for the removal of Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav of the Allahabad High Court. Justice Yadav has faced criticism for his alleged controversial remarks at a VHP event in December last year.

Agreeing with Ramesh’s concerns, Dhankhar revealed that he had received a representation from 55 members of the House regarding Justice Yadav’s removal and had taken steps to verify their claims.