New Delhi: A day after Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Verma was returned to his parents Allahabad HC, India’s Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna sought and received a report from Delhi HC Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and recovered cash on the alleged recovery of cash on Friday. Justice VermaOfficial residence on Holi on 14 March.
CJI is expected to take decisions by Saturday on setting up an inquiry panel. Justice Verma did not court in HC on Friday.
In a rare press note, the Supreme Court said, “On receiving the information, Delhi HC CJ started the in-house inquiry process, collecting evidence and information … and on Friday CJI will submit a report to Sanjeev Khanna.” The note was on the “information”, but it left the “in-house inquiry process” very little for imagination
What can be the future action in the case
The report will be investigated and processed for further further action, “SC said. Justice Upadhyay, who lives from Allahabad HC and before her appointment in Delhi HC, was the CJ of Bombay HC, demanded clarification of Nyaya Verma and inquired in other documents related to the fire incident, which reveals a pile of cash.
On the transfer of Justice Verma, the collegium resolution, which was still uploaded on the SC website, said, “The proposal for the transfer of Justice Verma, who is the second senior judge in Delhi HC and members of the HC collegium, for his parents Allahabad HC, where he will be ninth in seniority, is independent and different.
“The proposal (for transfer) was investigated by the collegium on March 20 with CJI and four senior-than-most judges, and then the letters were written to the consultation-judges of the SC, CJS and Justice Verma’s CJS. The reactions received by HCS. The received will be examined and, after that, the collegium will pass a resolution.”
The speculation about a full court meeting in the SC Corridor was high as none of the 17 benches worked till 10.45 am, which was not at 15 minutes beyond the scheduled time of commercial hours. CJI, which is a long time restricted to start its court at 10.30 am every day, started the proceedings at only 11.15 am only 11.15 am, as he and four senior judges of SC were engaged in a meeting till 11.10 am.
According to the in-house process by SC in 1999, to deal with complaints of rape, misconduct and corruption against judges, this is the CJI’s privilege to take a decision with the gravity of the CJI report.
If the report absorbs the judge of the allegations, CJI may decide to junk the issue. However, if the report indicates a degree of truth in the allegations, the CJI can take a judge into confidence and offer him the way to avoid resignation.
If the judge refuses to resign, the CJI can set up a three -member inquiry panel which is headed by a sitting SC judge and can include Chief Justice of two High Courts besides HC where he is working.
After the discovery of a huge pile of cash at Justice Verma’s residence, which the Allahabad HC Bar Association opposed its repatriation in a letter to Rs 15 crore, CJI Khanna on Friday informally informed the SC judges about the incident and said that the procedure will be followed to reach the bottom of the case.
The in-house process ‘C Ravichandran vs Justice M Bhattacharji’ (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) (1995) placed it, where SC placed down: “CJI, HC CJ, getting information from HC CJ, after being satisfied with purity and truth, after touching the judge’s conduct after being satisfied with purity and truth, either can be advised, as is required or warrant.”
