In a powerful and pointed statement, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has called for a criminal investigation into the alleged recovery of unaccounted cash from the official residence of a High Court judge in Delhi, warning that the judiciary is staring at its own 'Ides of March' if decisive action is not taken.
Speaking at the National University of Advanced Legal Studies in Kochi, Dhankhar expressed grave concern over the judiciary’s silence following the March 14–15 incident, during which large amounts of cash were reportedly found at a judge’s official residence. Drawing from Shakespeare’s warning of betrayal and downfall in Julius Caesar, he cautioned that the incident could mark a turning point in public confidence in judicial integrity.
"The moment cash was recovered, the system should have treated it as a criminal act. Yet, to this day, no FIR has been registered," Dhankhar remarked. He noted that the Centre is currently constrained from initiating criminal proceedings due to a Supreme Court judgment from the early 1990s, which bars registration of an FIR against a sitting High Court judge without the Chief Justice of India's consent.
The incident is reportedly linked to Justice Yashwant Varma, whose residence became the focus of attention after a fire led to the discovery of an undisclosed amount of currency. While the judge has denied any wrongdoing and submitted formal explanations to both the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and a Supreme Court-appointed panel, the repercussions have been swift.
Judicial duties were withdrawn from Justice Varma, and he was transferred to the Allahabad High Court. The Supreme Court is understood to have directed that no fresh judicial work be assigned to him pending further examination. Meanwhile, a panel probing the matter has recorded over 50 witness statements, including those of Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora and Fire Services Chief Atul Garg, both of whom were first responders at the scene.
Vice President Dhankhar's comments underline a rare but significant institutional confrontation. He stressed that the credibility of the judiciary is at stake and that shielding misconduct under procedural technicalities could erode the foundational trust of citizens in the justice system.
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