CJAR Calls For FIR Against Yashwant Varma Over Cash Row

The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform(CJAR) has called for an FIR against former judge Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court. This comes in the wake of the Lok Sabha Inquiry Committee report indicting Justice Varma on all three charges in relation to the unaccounted cash found at his official residence during a fire incident. 

CJAR has supported the decision of the committee to table its report on the findings despite the resignation of Justice Varma in April 2026. In a statement released by CJAR, it said: "We believe that this move promotes transparency and ensures a measure of accountability for the actions of Justice (Retd.) Varma. We are happy to note the speaker undoing the unfortunate precedent set in the case of Justice P. D. Dinakaran wherein impeachment proceedings were brought to an end merely because the judge concerned resigned."

Consequent to his resignation and the findings of the Inquiry Committee, CJAR has stated that the immunity against the judge has ceased to exist and therefore there is no requirement for sanction from the Chief Justice of India to lodge an FIR against Justice Varma as per the Veeraswami judgment(1991).

"After his resignation, Justice Varma ceases to enjoy the protection of the Veeraswami judgement, and therefore, there is no requirement of permission of the Chief Justice of India for resignation of an FIR against him. However, since the investigative authorities have not registered any FIR yet, in light of the Inquiry Committee's report and the report of the three-judge committee constituted under the in-house procedure, we call upon the Chief Justice of India to direct the filing of a First Information Report with the Delhi Police seeking an investigation into the unaccounted cash found at the residence of Justice (Retd.) Varma."

It has said that the charges proved against Justice Varma are not merely on "misconduct" under the Judges Inquiry Act for the purpose of removal but can also be a basis for criminal proceedings. Therefore, it has urged that an FIR should be registered against the former judge and should be overseen by the Supreme Court to restore the public's confidence in the judiciary.

CJAR has also cast questions on why the Allahabad High Court website continues to show him as a sitting judge. It has called upon the High Court to modify its website to avoid confusion. "Though Justice Varma has resigned, we are surprised that the Allahabad High Court website continues to show him as a sitting judge. We call upon the High Court to change this detail and avoid confusion," it said.

CJAR had earlier issued a statement welcoming the decision taken by then Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna to place in the public domain important information on the allegations regarding discovery of cash at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence. It said that the disclosure quelled rumour-mongering. "Transparency in handling serious allegations of corruption or misconduct is indispensable to public trust in the higher judiciary – an institution whose functioning has too often been marked by opacity," it had said.