Delhi High Court Judge in the Spotlight & Under the Scanner

Until Friday, Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma was known as the man who curbed the Enforcement Directorate’s zeal for investigation by ruling that the federal agency cannot probe any offence other than money laundering and that it cannot presume that there is an underlying crime (what is called a predicate offence).

- Shruti Kakkar

NEW DELHI:

Justice Varma delivered the verdict on January 24, 2023 in a case filed by Prakash Industries Limited, aggrieved by ED’s action of passing a provisional attachment order in November 2018. The case is currently being heard by a bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta.

But late on Thursday, the Supreme Court collegium, in an emergency meeting, decided to repatriate Varma, 56, to his parent court, the Allahabad HC, after it emerged that first responders seeking to douse a fire at his Delhi home—he wasn’t present there at the time—found a huge amount of cash.

Varma’s fate is now up to the report the Delhi HC’s chief justice DK Upadhyaya hands to the Chief Justice of India, and whether or not the CJI deems it fit to set up a committee to investigate him, perhaps as a precursor to parliamentary action impeaching him.

Justice Varma went on leave Friday.

Born on January 6, 1969 in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Justice Varma graduated with a commerce degree from Hansraj College, Delhi, and obtained a law degree from Rewa University, Madhya Pradesh. His legal journey spans three decades, beginning with his enrolment as an advocate on August 8, 1992.

He began practising law specialising in civil, constitutional, labour, industrial legislations, corporate and tax matters. He also served as a special counsel for the Allahabad High Court from 2006 till his elevation and also held the office of the Chief Standing Counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 till 2013, when he was designated senior advocate by the Allahabad High Court.