Petition Against Justice Yashwant Varma: A Call for Accountability
Last Updated on March 31, 2025 by NewsDesk SLC
A significant development within the Indian judiciary, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court. This action arises from the alleged discovery of a substantial amount of unaccounted cash at Justice Varma’s official residence, uncovered during an operation to extinguish a fire.
Advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara, the petitioner, argued before Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna for urgent hearings on the matter. The Chief Justice acknowledged the case, instructing the petitioner to refrain from making public statements regarding it. Nedumpara stressed that an FIR must be registered against Justice Varma, citing the seriousness of the alleged misconduct. He expressed concern that if such a large sum of money had been found in a businessman’s residence, law enforcement agencies would have acted promptly.
The petition challenges existing precedents regarding the accountability of judges. It contests a prior Supreme Court ruling, established in the 1991 case of K. Veeraswami v. Union of India, which stipulates that no FIR can be lodged against a sitting judge without the Chief Justice’s prior consent. The petitioners argue that this creates a privileged class of individuals who are shielded from legal scrutiny, undermining the principle of equality before the law.
Nedumpara’s petition highlights that while most judges uphold integrity, cases like that of Justice Varma cannot be ignored. The plea contends that this in-house inquiry by a three-judge committee, rather than a criminal investigation, diminishes public trust and undermines the judiciary’s reputation. The petitioners assert that serious allegations require formal investigation to uphold the rule of law and accountability in the judicial system.
Their specific requests include declaring the incident as a cognizable offence, lifting the restrictions imposed by the Veeraswami case, and ordering an FIR to be registered. They also emphasize the necessity for more robust mechanisms to combat corruption within the judicial system, including reviving the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill of 2010.
This case marks a critical juncture in the ongoing discourse about judicial accountability in India, challenging the norms that protect judicial positions while demanding greater transparency and action against corruption within the judiciary. The outcome could potentially reshape how allegations against judges are addressed and investigated, reinforcing the principle that no one is above the law.
