“Mere transfer or suspension not enough”: Ujjwal Nikam on Justice Yashwant Verma case
Jalgaon (Maharashtra) [India], March 23 (ANI): Senior advocate and BJP leader Ujjwal Nikam has praised the Supreme Court’s internal probe into the Justice Yashwant Verma case, saying transparency is the soul of the judiciary and a firm stand is expected in it.
Speaking to ANI, Nikam said, “Supreme Court started an in-house investigation into the Justice Yashwant Varma matter. I would like to congratulate Supreme Court because transparency is the soul of the judiciary. I always say that the stability of any nation depends on two factors – common citizens should have faith in the currency of that country, and second, common citizens should face faith in the judiciary of that country.”
He stressed that mere transfer or suspension was not enough, and urged that criminal prosecution and impeachment proceedings should be initiated by Parliament if necessary.
“What the Supreme Court website published in connection with a large amount of cash found at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, makes it seem that this is a matter of investigation. I think Supreme Court will take a firm stand. Mere transfer, suspension or termination are not enough. There can be criminal prosecution too and Parliament will have to decide that if an impeachment motion has to be brought in such matters,” Nikam added.
His comments come after a fire at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence led to the discovery of a large amount of cash. Following the incident, Supreme Court initiated an inquiry.
The Supreme Court later released the inquiry report filed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay into the controversy involving High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, as per a press release by the Supreme Court.
In his report, the Delhi High Court Chief Justice said that he is of the prima facie opinion that the entire matter warrants a deeper probe.
The Supreme Court also released the response of Justice Yashwant Varma, who has denied the allegations and said that it clearly appeared to be a conspiracy to frame and malign him.
Justice Varma stated that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by him or any of his family members, and he said he strongly denounced the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to them.
The room which caught fire and where cash was allegedly found was an outhouse and not the main building where the judge and family reside, he stated.
The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, instructed Justice Yashwant Varma to preserve all communication on his phone while acting on the directive of the Chief Justice of India (CJI); this included conversations, messages, and data, as the controversy surrounding him continued to unfold.
Justice Varma, in a statement to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, refuted the allegations implicating him in the cash recovery incident.
According to media reports, a fire at the judge’s house inadvertently led to the firefighters’ recovery of cash. The cash was found initially by fire tenders when a fire broke out in the judge’s residence on March 14. The judge was not present at his house.
