In a move towards greater transparency and public trust after the case of cash haul of a Delhi High Court judge, Supreme Court judges have decided to make their asset declarations publicly available.

As per Live Law, the decision was taken on April 1 during a full-court meeting, where judges agreed to disclose their assets to the Chief Justice of India. These declarations will also be uploaded on the Supreme Court’s official website once the final procedures are in place.

Although all Supreme Court judges have already submitted their asset declarations, they have not been made public until now. The exact process for publishing them will be decided soon.

This decision comes in the wake of a recent controversy involving the purported discovery of burnt wads of cash at the official residence of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma, following a fire incident. The move is seen as a response to growing demands for greater judicial accountability and transparency in governance.

Later, the Law Ministry issued a notification confirming the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma to another court.

In response to the controversy, Justice Varma strongly refuted any allegations, stating that neither he nor any of his family members had ever placed cash in the storeroom of his residence. He denounced any insinuations linking him to the incident and maintained that the claims were entirely baseless.

Controversy of Cash haul

The controversy started when a fire broke out at Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma’s home on March 14, during Holi celebrations. Justice Varma was reportedly out of town when the incident occurred. Emergency services were called, and after the fire was extinguished, responders found a large amount of cash inside the house.

Though the sum of money was not announced, the finding resulted in a formal police document of what appeared to be missing money. It created serious doubt and prompted an investigation.

After the incident, the Supreme Court Collegium unanimously recommended transferring Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court. The collegium, except for the CJI, consists of senior judges Justices B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S. Oka, and Vikram Nath.

Justice Varma's transfer is awaiting government clearance. In the meantime, he did not show up in court on Friday, with the court master declaring that the division bench was "on leave."

 

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