An official statement has been released by the Supreme Court regarding the cash found at the home of a Delhi High Court judge. The Supreme Court explained that the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court was the pioneer in starting the investigation related to Justice Yashwant Verma. It was also emphasized that there's a need to steer clear of the spiraling rumors and misinformation concerning this case.
Evidence Accumulated Through Internal Procedures
According to their statement, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court commenced gathering evidence and information under the in-house investigation procedure set forth by the Supreme Court. This process was initiated even before the collegium meeting scheduled on March 20, 2025. The Chief Justice's report will be handed over to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) today (March 21, 2025). Following this, the report will be reviewed for appropriate further action.
Supreme Court's Statement on Justice Yashwant Verma's Transfer
The Supreme Court explicitly stated that the transfer proposal for Justice Yashwant Verma is completely independent of the in-house investigation process. Highlighting his current status as the second senior-most judge and a collegium member of the Delhi High Court, the Supreme Court emphasized that his seniority would drop to ninth place upon transferring to the Allahabad High Court.
Role of This Fact in the Transfer Proposal
The Supreme Court's press release underlined the significant role of this change in seniority related to his transfer proposal. Nonetheless, the transfer process is distinct and separate from the internal investigation. Indeed, on March 20, 2025, the Supreme Court's Chief Justice and four senior-most judges discussed Justice Yashwant Verma's transfer proposal in a collegium meeting.
Thereafter, consultations with senior Supreme Court judges and notifications to the Chief Justices of the concerning High Courts occurred. Justice Yashwant Verma was also informed about this proposal. After evaluating all responses, the collegium will pass the final proposal about this matter. The Supreme Court also highlighted the widespread spread of misinformation regarding the incidents associated with Justice Yashwant Verma's residence.
Citing the cases of 1995 C. Ravichandran Iyer vs Justice A.M. Bhattacharjee and 2015 Additional District and Sessions Judge 'X' vs Registrar General of Madhya Pradesh High Court, the Supreme Court observed that the in-house investigation process is conducted transparently adhering to established norms.
Chief Justice of Delhi High Court: 'All are Astonished'
Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyay of the Delhi High Court expressed astonishment over Justice Yashwant Verma's case. His remarks came when a senior lawyer mentioned before the top judge's court that not only he but many other lawyers are disheartened and bewildered by the incident, urging the top judge to act on the administrative side. Responding to the advocate's statement that numerous individuals from the bar were taken aback, Chief Justice Upadhyay said with a heavy heart, "Everyone is astonished."
