Despite 'XXX vs Union of India' petition, Supreme Court lists Justice Yashwant Varma’s plea in cash row for hearing on July 30

The Supreme Court has listed the plea filed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma for hearing on July 30. The plea by Justice Varma challenges the findings of an internal inquiry panel that recommended his removal in connection with the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at his residence.

The matter was originally brought before the Court under the anonymised title 'XXX vs Union of India'. In a rare Sunday sitting, the Supreme Court bench led by Justice Manoj Misra refused to entertain that version of the petition, noting that the petitioner’s identity had been concealed. “You cannot file petitions like this. Identity of the petitioner has been concealed. Dismissed,” the Court said.

Justice Varma had sought permission to file the petition without disclosing his name, stating that revealing his identity at this stage would cause “irreparable loss and injury”. The use of ‘XXX’ is typically reserved for survivors of sexual offences, juveniles, or cases where privacy is legally protected — not for sitting members of the judiciary. The case has now been re-listed under his name for further hearing.

The unusual plea comes amid an ongoing row over a large amount of unaccounted cash found at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi following a fire incident on 14 March. He has denied any connection to the cash, stating it was found in an outhouse not used by him or his family.

Following the incident, Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya submitted a confidential enquiry report to the Supreme Court on March 22, which observed that the matter warranted deeper investigation. A three-member panel of senior judges was subsequently formed to examine the issue. Justice Varma’s judicial responsibilities were withdrawn.

In a separate but related development, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking an FIR against Justice Varma and questioning the legality of the K Veeraswami precedent, which bars criminal investigation against sitting judges without prior approval from the Chief Justice of India. The plea also challenged the jurisdiction of the three-judge inquiry panel.

The Supreme Court had earlier granted interim protection to Justice Varma, and further proceedings are expected to unfold in the coming week.

(With India Today, PTI inputs)