The Supreme Court initiated an “in-house” probe on Friday against Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Verma after a large amount of cash was discovered at his bungalow while firefighters were extinguishing a blaze.
This development came just hours after the Supreme Court collegium unanimously decided to transfer Justice Verma to the Allahabad High Court in response to the incident.
During a meeting, the collegium clarified that the transfer was only a preliminary measure, with further legal actions being considered. As per the Supreme Court’s in-house inquiry procedure, when allegations arise against a high court judge, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) conducts a preliminary review before appointing a three-judge committee to investigate, following the judge’s response. Based on the committee’s findings, appropriate action may be taken.
A high court judge can only be removed through an impeachment motion passed by Parliament. While some judges have resigned during proceedings, no judge in India has ever been impeached.
The incident began when a fire broke out at Justice Verma’s residence, prompting his family to call emergency services. After putting out the fire, first responders discovered a significant amount of cash in one of the rooms.
