Burnt cash, no FIR, and a judiciary under cloud—questions remain unanswered.
It’s been over two months since sacks full of half-burnt currency notes were recovered from a room in the house allotted to a High Court judge in New Delhi. The country remains in the dark about the source of the money and to whom it belonged.
The mystery has deepened with Justice Yashwant Verma denying ownership of the currency notes. He asserted that he had no idea where the currency came from, even though it was found on his premises. He said that the room from which the notes were recovered was accessible to his staff members and alleged that there was a conspiracy to defame him.
Former Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna constituted an inquiry committee comprising Justices Sheel Nagu, G.S. Sandhawalia, and Anu Sivaraman to conduct an in-depth probe into the incident.
According to reports, the committee found sufficient material to recommend the removal of the judge, who was subsequently transferred to the Allahabad High Court after the incident.
Justice Khanna forwarded the in-house committee report to the President and the Prime Minister. He also enclosed Justice Verma’s response.
Experts pointed out that the CJI’s action paved the way for the initiation of removal proceedings against Justice Verma in Parliament. It is evident that he had declined to resign or opt for voluntary retirement.
The issue has since been raised by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who questioned why an FIR has not been filed in the case despite more than two months having passed.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar
Stressing the need for an FIR, Dhankhar said, “People are waiting with bated breath… The money trail, its source, its purpose—did it pollute the judicial system? Who are the bigger sharks? We need to find out.”
Stating that the incident was “agitating the minds of billions,” Dhankhar emphasized the need for a “scientific, forensic, expert, thorough investigation that reveals everything and leaves nothing unrevealed. The truth needs to be laid bare,” he added.
The Vice President also remarked that the committee constituted by the Supreme Court “does not have any constitutional premise or legal sanctity, and most importantly, it will be inconsequential.”
The judiciary is the last hope of citizens seeking justice, and this hope and faith must be protected.
Although prior sanction is required to initiate prosecution against any High Court or Supreme Court judge, as per a 1991 judgment, this does not prevent the police from registering an FIR.
The police would not have hesitated to register an FIR if an ordinary citizen had been involved. In fact, the police might have been reprimanded by the courts for failing to do so under such circumstances.
It also remains a mystery why the Supreme Court did not grant prosecution sanction even after the three-member committee had prima facie found evidence of wrongdoing by Justice Verma.
Impeachment of judges by Parliament is a tedious and difficult procedure. It requires a two-thirds majority of MPs present and voting. No wonder there has been no impeachment of any judge since independence.
But even impeachment would not answer the critical questions: What was the origin of the sacks of currency notes, and how did they end up on the premises of a High Court judge?
The credibility of the judiciary is at stake. The judiciary is the last hope of citizens seeking justice, and this hope and faith must be protected. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Therefore, the judiciary must exhibit transparency in the Justice Verma case and make public the findings of the investigation. 
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Vipin Pubby
The author, a freelance journalist, is a former Resident Editor of Indian Express, Chandigarh, and reported on the political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern India, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in his long, illustrious career.
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