Days after hordes of cash were discovered at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, controversial Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra attacked the media for diligently covering the corruption allegations against the Delhi High Court judge.
She was visibly upset that the sensational story was picked up and debated at length in the media, thereby ensuring the possibility of a free and fair investigation in the matter.
Mahua Moitra brazened out, “I am digressing to speak on an issue which has immense controversy and intrigue attached. The story about a bundle of currency notes discovered in the outhouse of a judge of the Delhi High Court. Now the veracity of the incident is still being ascertained, but the Godi media has gone to town debating whether the appointment of judges and how the government of the day must have a preponderance say in the appointment process.“
The TMC MP alleged that the claims about the discovery of unaccounted cash at Justice Yashwant Varma’s house was not verified, despite the Supreme Court releasing video evidence showing burnt currency notes.
Mark my words. This Govt & its Godi Media are laying ground for doing away with collegium system in favour of NJAC type total govt control over judicial appointments. Much like EC’s de-fanging. pic.twitter.com/UBId9CWpCR
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) March 24, 2025
She further peddled conspiracy theories that the matter was being extensively covered in the media at the behest of the BJP. Mahua Moitra alleged that the ulterior motive was to bring back the decade-old National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act under the pretext of the Varma case.
“Now you see this media are trying to mahol banao, they are trying to toe the government line to suborn the higher judiciary. Someone who cannot be named in this house, who presides over a neighbouring chamber has already added his two cents and said how he thinks that the government should do away with the collegium system,” Mahua Moitra claimed.
She also misled about the nature of the NJAC, which was enacted by the Parliament in 2014 to ensure the appointment of the judges in a transparent manner.
Mark my words, just like the election commission has been emasculated by the government takeover of its appointments process, this…is the beginning of an effort to bring back something like the NGAC with complete government control and do away with the collegium system amount of money apportioned to the judiciary will be of any avail unless its independent character is zealously guarded.
The ‘cash scam’ involving Justice Yashwant Varma
Ever since the news of the fire accident at Justice Varama’s residence boke out, new twists and turns have been emerging in the matter every day.
The hushed manner in which the matter has been dealt with by the authorities also raises serious questions on the accountability and transparency of the judiciary as well as the administration.
Interestingly, the fire incident occurred on 14th March but the news about the incident broke out on 20th March, a week later.
Moreover, the Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg initially denied reports of finding piles of cash at the judge’s residence but later on, he denied having given any such statement to any media outlet and dismissed his earlier quoted by the media as fake news.
In the meantime, a transfer order was also issued by the Supreme Court transferring Justice Varma to Allahabad High Court.
However, the Supreme Court yesterday denied any link between Collegium’s proposal to transfer the judge to Allahabad High Court, saying that it was a routine transfer proposal that has not been finalized yet.
On 22nd March, the Supreme Court publicly released a report on its website including three images and a video of the incident. The same day, a three-member committee was formed by the Supreme Court to conduct a probe into the matter.
The committee is chaired by Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alongside Justice GS Sandhawalia of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court.
The committee will investigate the allegations and submit a report to the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna. The CJI also asked the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court to not assign any case to Justice Varma.
