Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (July 31) questioned Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma over his plea challenging the in-house committee report indicting him in the cash discovery row and recommendation by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice AG Masih, while questioning the maintainability of the petition and noting that the primary relief sought by Justice Varma in his plea was effectively against the Supreme Court itself, told Varma’s counsel, “this petition shouldn’t have been filed."
The bench grilled the counsel representing Justice Varma over submissions seeking to invalidate an in-house inquiry panel report into the allegations of discovery of large stash of burnt cash from his official Delhi residence following a fire incident at his residence at around 11.35 pm on March 14.
“Why did you appear before the inquiry committee? Did you come to the court that the video be removed? Why did you wait for the inquiry to be completed and the report be released? Did you take a chance of a favourable order there first. You should have come then and there and got an order,” the bench told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Justice Varma.
Sibal argued that as per the constitutional scheme, a judge couldn't be a subject matter of public debate.
"The release of video on Supreme Court website, public furore, media accusations against judges are prohibited as per constitutional scheme," Sibal argued.
The bench, during the hearing, questioned the lawyers representing him over the parties made in his petition and said that he should have filed the in-house inquiry report with his plea.
The apex court bench, while posting the hearing on Justice Varma’s plea on Wednesday, asked the lawyer representing Justice Varma to correct the memo of parties and come with one page bullet points.
The three-member committee, appointed by former CJI Khanna on March 22, confirmed the allegations of cash discovery against Justice Varma in its inquiry report and then CJI Khanna forwarded the said report along with the response of Justice Varma to the President and the Prime Minister after Justice Varma refused to resign.
