Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has called for a criminal probe into the massive stash of cash discovered at a High Court judge’s official residence in Delhi, comparing the incident to the infamous “Ides of March” from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar — a symbol of betrayal and looming disaster. Speaking at the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Dhankhar said the judiciary itself faced its “Ides of March” when large sums of cash were officially acknowledged, yet no FIR was registered.
“Such a serious discovery should’ve triggered immediate criminal action. But the system remains paralysed due to an old Supreme Court judgment from the 1990s, restricting such steps,” he explained. The Vice President questioned how such large amounts of money ended up at a judge’s residence, urging authorities to get to the root of the matter.
Dhankhar also expressed concern over the judiciary’s growing encroachment into executive functions, including appointments like that of the CBI Director, calling it a violation of the separation of powers.
While acknowledging recent efforts by the judiciary to restore accountability, Dhankhar warned that erosion of public faith in the justice system could have dangerous consequences for India’s democracy. “No institution can afford to betray the trust of 1.4 billion people,” he stressed.
