Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, May 5: The Supreme Court-appointed committee probing the sensational cash recovery allegations involving Justice Yashwant Varma has submitted its report to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna.

The three-member panel, formed to investigate claims that a large amount of burnt currency was found in the storeroom of justice Varma’s official bungalow in Delhi after a fire incident on March 14, handed over its findings on May 4. The committee includes justice Sheel Nagu, chief justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, justice G S Sandhawalia, chief justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court, and justice Anu Sivaraman of Karnataka High Court.

Justice Varma, then a senior judge of the Delhi High Court, has denied any wrongdoing. Following the controversy, the Union government cleared his transfer to the Allahabad High Court on March 28, a move that stirred protests from bar associations in Lucknow and Allahabad.

The Supreme Court Collegium, led by CJI Khanna, had earlier clarified that Justice Varma's transfer was separate from the in-house inquiry, and was based on administrative grounds.

Justice Varma, now posted at Allahabad HC, was relieved of judicial work prior to his transfer. The outcome of the submitted report is awaited, as the matter continues to draw close scrutiny.