The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed Justice Yashant Varma’s petition
The plea was filed to challenge the in-house inquiry report which found him complicit in the huge cash discovered at his residence
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed Justice Yashant Varma’s petition challenging the in-house inquiry report which found him complicit in the huge cash discovered at his residence. A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih asserted that Justice Varma’s conduct does not inspire confidence and that the inquiry procedure scrupulously followed the procedure laid down by the SC.
Justice Varma had also sought the dismissal of the May 8 recommendation by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna urging Parliament to initiate impeachment proceedings against him, reported PTI.
Justice Datta read from the judgement that "We have held that it was not required to do so (upload the photos and videos of the fire-fighting operation on the SC website) as per the procedure. But having said so, we have held that nothing turns on it, because at the opportune moment, you did not question it. And there is also no relief claimed in the writ petition insofar as the uploading is concerned."
The bench highlighted that the in-house procedure of the SC had legal sanctity and was not a parallel mechanism outside the constitutional framework.
The court also scrapped a petition filed by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara seeking registration of an FIR against Justice Varma on the ground of "abuse of process of the Court".
Justice Varma, in his petition argued that the panel's findings were based on a preconceived narrative and that the inquiry was conducted to end the proceedings swiftly. A report of the inquiry panel probing the incident had said Justice Varma and his family members had covert or active control over the store room where a huge cache of half-burnt cash was found following a fire incident, proving his misconduct which is serious enough to seek his removal.
With PTI inputs
