Investigation into Judge Yashwant Varma’s Cash Row Faces Delays

The ongoing probe into the alleged cash recovered at Justice Yashwant Varma’s home is not likely to be concluded in a hurry. Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had ordered a judicial probe after the incident. The probe will be led by a three-member bench of seasoned judges, namely Sheel Nagu of Punjab & Haryana, G S Sandhawalia of Himachal Pradesh, and Anu Sivaraman of Karnataka. But with the intricacies involved in the case, it may take a long time.

The investigation includes the questioning of a number of witnesses, including those who answered the blaze in Justice Varma’s storeroom on March 14. While the storeroom was said by the police chief to have been largely locked, the judge contended that it was open to staff, gardeners, and PWD officials. Experts will also question the video footage of the charred cash and check if the scene of the incident is consistent with the storeroom.

One of the important points of the inquiry is to scrutinize the call records of the judge’s phones, which would need technical help from experts. The Delhi Fire Chief, who originally said there was no money recovered, could also be asked why he took a U-turn on the issue. Security officials and staff members at Justice Varma’s home will also be questioned to ascertain if any evidence was altered following the fire.

Justice Varma claims innocence that no money was discovered following the dousing of the fire. The probe will seek to establish the facts and advise on whether or not further action should be taken.