Yashwant Varma's resignation may open graft-probe window

NEW DELHI: Friday's resignation saves Justice Yashwant Varma from the ignominy of defending himself successful Parliament successful a statement connected the question to region him arsenic a judge. However, it mightiness unfastened a model for the authorities to bid an probe into the root of the wealth recovered successful a judge's authoritative residence successful a high-security portion successful the nationalist capital.

The investigation, which could not person been launched earlier due to the fact that of the immunity helium enjoyed arsenic a precocious tribunal judge, could perchance onshore him connected the incorrect broadside of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Last week, his lawyers had dismissed arsenic "rumour" wide speculation astir Justice Varma readying to resign. There are indications that the consistency of eyewitness accounts connected questioning by Justice Varma's lawyers during the hearings of the committee whitethorn person impressed upon the precocious tribunal justice the futility of trying to bent on. The Delhi constabulary commissioner had, connected March 14-15, informed the Chief Justice of Delhi precocious court, Justice D K Upadhyay, astir the sensational betterment by the occurrence and constabulary unit astatine the bungalow of Justice Varma successful effect to a telephone from the judge's girl astir a fire. Justice D K Upadhyaya instantly looped successful the past Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, mounting successful question fast-paced events that intensified statement astir alleged corruption successful the judiciary and revived calls for a caller look astatine the SC collegium's monopoly implicit the assignment of judges to the precocious courts and the apex court.

On March 20, the CJI-headed SC collegium considered transferring Justice Varma backmost to the Allahabad HC and stripped him of judicial work.

Simultaneously, the CJI had sought a study from the Delhi HC CJ. After receiving the study from the HC CJ, the SC collegium recommended his transfer. TOI was the archetypal to study astir the incidental and transportation of Justice Varma connected March 22 past year. The contention snowballed aft past CJI Khanna constituted an enquiry committee comprising Punjab and Haryana CJ Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh CJ G S Sandhawalia and Karnataka HC's Justice Anu Sivaraman.

After an elaborate and lengthy inquiry, the committee, successful its May 3 report, corroborated the find of immense currency astatine Justice Varma's residence and its mysterious disappearance. CJI Khanna had sent the study to Justice Varma and suggested helium resign. When helium refused, the CJI sent the study to the President and PM and advised govt to initiate a question successful Parliament for Justice Varma's removal. Following the filing of a removal question against Justice Varma successful Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla had, connected Aug 12, constituted a three-member committee headed by SC's Justice Aravind Kumar and comprising Madras HC CJ M M Srivastava and elder advocator B V Acharya to inquire into the charges against Justice Varma. Justice Srivastava, who retired connected March 5, was replaced by Bombay precocious tribunal CJ Shree Chandrashekhar. The Lok Sabha bureau had completed the process of adducing evidence, chiefly based connected the grounds gathered by the in-house enquiry committee, against Justice Varma and was astatine an precocious signifier of concluding the proceedings.