The Bombay Lawyers Association (BLA) has formally written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Gavai, seeking sanction to register an FIR against Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court, following the discovery of a large amount of allegedly unauthorized cash at his official residence in Delhi earlier this year.

In a letter signed by Advocate Ahmed Abdi, President of BLA, the association invoked the Supreme Court’s ruling in K. Veeraswami v. Union of India, which mandates prior approval from the Chief Justice of India before any FIR can be registered against a sitting judge of a High Court or the Supreme Court. The judgment balances judicial accountability with protection against frivolous or motivated prosecutions.

On March 14, 2025, a large stash of partially burnt cash was discovered at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi during a firefighting operation. Justice Varma was then serving on the Delhi High Court and was later transferred to the Allahabad High Court. Judicial work has since been withdrawn from him on CJI’s instructions.

According to BLA, this incident potentially amounts to a cognizable offence under:

• Section 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (for possession of disproportionate assets).

• Relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The association highlighted that photographic and video evidence, shared publicly by the Delhi Police Commissioner, raises grave concerns about judicial integrity and public trust.

Key Demands Made by BLA

1. Sanction to register FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

2. Direction to investigative agencies (Delhi Police/CBI) to preserve evidence, including:

   • Partially burnt currency notes

   • Photos and videos from the site

3. Copy of the in-house inquiry report (already forwarded to the PM and President) to enable legal recourse.

Background and Procedural Developments

• A three-judge in-house inquiry committee was formed by then-CJI Sanjiv Khanna on March 22, comprising:

  • Justice Sheel Nagu (CJ of Punjab & Haryana HC)

  • Justice GS Sandhawalia (CJ of Himachal Pradesh HC)

  • Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge, Karnataka HC)

• Preliminary materials, including Justice Varma’s response and police documentation, were uploaded to the Supreme Court website.

• However, the final inquiry report remains confidential, though it has been forwarded to the President and Prime Minister as of May 8.