Burnt Cash Scandal: SC Dismisses Plea Seeking Fir Against Justice Yashwant Varma

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the plea seeking an FIR into the recovery of a huge pile of burnt Rs 15 crore cash from Justice Yashwant Varma's official residence. According to reports, the top court refused to entertain a writ petition seeking the registration of an FIR against Justice Yashwant Varma, former Delhi High Court Judge, over alleged illicit cash discovery. The court's decision came after a bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan deemed the petition premature, citing an ongoing in-house inquiry.

Notably, Justice Yashwant Varma faced scrutiny following a March 14 fire at his official residence's storeroom, which led to the discovery of substantial cash. The Chief Justice of India formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter on March 21, based on a report from Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyay. Justice Varma denied allegations, claiming a conspiracy.

During the hearing of the plea, Advocate Mathews J Nedupmara, the petitioner, stressed concerns about shielding judges from regular investigations. He cited a Kerala POCSO case where police didn't register an FIR against a sitting High Court Judge. Nedupmara argued that investigation isn't the court's job and should be left to the police. 

Following Nedupmara's argument, Justice Oka responded, "Today, we cannot interfere at this stage. Let the in-house procedure be over, and after that, all options are open to the Chief Justice of India."

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss the petition has triggered discussions regarding judicial accountability.