Delhi High Court derosters Justice Varma

Justice Yashwant Varma - the Delhi High Court judge at whose home a pile of burnt cash was discovered on Holi, after a fire was put out - has been removed from active duty with "immediate effect till further orders", Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya said Monday morning.

According to the Delhi High Court website Justice Varma - appointed in October 2021 - heads a division bench dealing with matters relating to sales tax, goods and services tax, company appeals, etc.

This follows the Supreme Court forming a three-member committee - consisting of the chief justices of the Punjab and Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka High Courts - to investigate the matter.

Justice Varma said last week neither he nor any member of his family kept money in the outhouse - a structure he said is "disconnected from the main residence", is kept unlocked, and can be accessed by anybody else. He also declared himself "truly shocked" and claimed a "conspiracy" against him.

The controversy around Justice Varma broke last week when news of the cash was made public and the Supreme Court Collegium decided to return him to the Allahabad High Court. The proposed transfer invited sharp observations about the need for a thorough inquiry. Among those critics was senior advocate Harish Salve.

Meanwhile, a report filed by the Delhi High Court has been made public - including photographs and videos - by the Supreme Court in an unprecedented move to ensure transparency. Some sections, however, were redacted to maintain confidentiality.