Who Are the 3 Judges Investigating Justice Varma’s Cash-At-Home Case

New Delhi: The three-member committee constituted by CJI Sanjiv Khanna for the probe of the Judge Cash Scandal visited Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma's residence in the national capital today, to take a look at place where the fire incident was reported and sacks of unaccounted burnt cash was found.

The committee comprises of Chief Justices of two states and a High Court judge, namely, Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Karnataka High Court judge Anu Sivaraman. 

Also Read: ‘Faith Shattered’: Furious Allahabad HC Lawyers Demand Reintroduction Of NJAC, Seeks Impeachment Of Justice Yashwant Varma

Here's all you need to know about the three judges probing what is touted as the biggest scandal of the Indian judiciary…

Who Are 3 Judges Investigating Justice Varma's Cash-at-Home Case?

Justice Sheel Nagu, the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was born in 1965 and began his career as an advocate on October 5, 1987. Justice Nagu practiced as a civil and constitutional advocate in the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Jabalpur and was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 27, 2011. Justice Nagu took oath as a Permanent Judge on May 23, 2013. On May 25, 2024 Justice Nagu was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh and on July 9, 2024, Justice Sheel Nagu took oath as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.

Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, completed his education from Chandigarh and was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh in 1989. During his time as an advocate, Justice Sandhawalia took criminal, civil, service, land acquisition and Constitution law cases. Justice Sandhawalia took oath as an additional judge in 2011 and then as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2014. In February last year, Justice GS Sandhawalia took charge as the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and took oath as the CHief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court in December, 2024.

Justice Anu Sivaraman, a judge of the Karnataka High Court, completed her education from Ernakulam and enrolled as an advocate in March, 1991. During her tenure as an advocate, Justice Sivaraman served as the Standing Counsel for the Corporation of Cochin, Senior Government Pleader and Special Government Pleader. Justice Anu Sivaraman was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Kerala High Court in 2015 and took oath as a Permanent Judge in 2017. In March last year, Justice Sivaraman was transferred to Karnataka High Court, as a judge.

Also Read: How Cash Was Unearthed from Judge’s Home & Supreme Court Finally Admitted So: A Timeline of Justice Yashwant’s Varma’s Case

Judge Cash Scandal: Allahabad HCBA on Indefinite Strike, Calls for Introduction of NJAC Bill

Following the exposure of India's largest judicial corruption scandal, unrest within the judicial system continues to escalate. The controversy surrounding the alleged recovery of Rs 15 crore in cash from the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma has taken a new turn. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has initiated an indefinite strike in response to the Supreme Court collegium's decision to transfer Justice Varma. 

As calls for the impeachment of the accused judge grow louder, Allahabad HC lawyers have demanded the reinstatement of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) and called for central agencies to investigate the matter against Justice Varma. Additionally, the Allahabad Bar Association has sent a delegation to New Delhi to meet with the central government.