The Supreme Court has invoked an in-house inquiry mechanism against Justice Yashwant Verma of the Delhi High Court following the discovery of substantial unaccounted cash at his official residence. The decision, taken after an extraordinary meeting of the Supreme Court Collegium, also includes a recommendation to transfer Justice Verma to the Allahabad High Court, his parent High Court.
The in-house procedure was set in motion after reports surfaced indicating that a fire brigade responding to an incident at Justice Verma’s residence stumbled upon large hoards of cash. The fire personnel, after documenting the discovery, escalated the matter to senior authorities, eventually leading to the intervention of the Chief Justice of India (CJI). This prompted CJI Sanjiv Khanna to convene a full court meeting on Friday morning, where all Supreme Court judges participated in deliberations regarding the necessary course of action.
The Supreme Court, in adherence to its internal inquiry framework, has also sought a detailed report from the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya. According to sources prior to the proceedings, the Collegium initially considered the transfer as a disciplinary measure but later reached a consensus that mere relocation would not suffice given the gravity of the allegations. Consequently, the full court unanimously resolved to conduct an in-house inquiry while proceeding with the transfer as an immediate step.
The Supreme Court’s in-house procedure for dealing with allegations against sitting High Court judges mandates a preliminary inquiry by the Chief Justice of India. If the allegations appear to have merit, the CJI constitutes a committee comprising three Supreme Court judges to examine the matter. The judge in question is given an opportunity to respond, and based on the panel’s findings, further action may be recommended.
A High Court judge can only be removed through an impeachment motion passed by both Houses of Parliament, a process that has never culminated in a judge’s removal in Indian legal history. While impeachment proceedings have been initiated in the past, they have always concluded with the resignation of the judge concerned before completion.
As per reports, Justice Verma did not preside over court proceedings following the emergence of the controversy, with his court staff confirming his absence on leave. Meanwhile, the transfer process is underway but remains subject to government approval.
Picture Source :