New Delhi: Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari Thursday demanded a statement from the Union law minister on the chronology of events in the matter of alleged discovery of cash from the official residence of Justice Yashwant Varma.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, he asked why the government was not making a statement about what had happened in the case so far and what it knew.
“The reports about alleged aberrations in the judiciary have disturbed the conscience of all right-thinking citizens across the country. However, it is too premature to apportion guilt or otherwise. However, Mr Chairperson, this House, Parliament is charged with the responsibility of exercising superintendence over the judiciary. It is charged with the responsibility of exercising oversight over the judiciary,” Tewari said.
The case of ‘jute sacks filled with cash’ inside a storeroom on the premises of the judge is being probed by a three-member committee comprising Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and Justice Anu Sivaraman, a judge of the Karnataka High Court.
The Delhi High Court judge has since been transferred to the Allahabad High Court.
“The Chief Justice of India has appointed an in-house inquiry. I think we should respect the process. We should wait for that report. But in the meantime, the law minister should come to this House and must relate the chronology of events as they have transpired,” Tewari demanded.
He further said Parliament needs to exercise its oversight over the judiciary, in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Constitution and the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
“Nobody is saying that anyone is innocent or guilty. Nobody is trying to apportion guilt. Let the in-house inquiry process play itself out. But under the Articles of the Constitution and the Judges Inquiry Act, this Parliament has the responsibility of exercising that superintendence over the judiciary and we are abdicating our responsibility,” he asserted.
The Congress leader also questioned the reluctance of the government in making a statement in the House.
“My demand is to let the law minister come before the House and make a statement as to what is the sequence of events. What actually transpired, what does the government know? Why is the government not making a statement?” he asked.
The Judges Inquiry Act regulates the procedure for investigation and proof of misbehaviour or incapacity of a judge of the Supreme Court or high court and for the presentation of an address by Parliament to the President and for matters connected therewith.
Apart from Tewari, TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee also raised the matter in Parliament.
Banerjee said that judges, like MPs, were public servants and asked why the Lokpal should not inquire into accusations of corruption against the judiciary.
“Unaccountable money has been recovered from one of the judges of the Delhi High Court. This is not the last one incident; the factum of recovery (of) money from a high court judge is really eroding confidence in the judiciary. Judges are also public servants like us, why (will) any investigation not commence if a complaint of corruption is made against a judge irrespective of the fact that the CJI grants permission or not,” he added.
“All such judges (facing allegations) are transferred either to Kolkata or Allahabad High Court. I am with the lawyers of Allahabad High Court who are opposing the transfer of Justice Varma there. Transfers will not resolve the issue and these courts should not be made dumping grounds,” he said.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: ‘Cash-filled’ jute sacks & a fire. Why Justice Yashwant Varma is being accused of a ‘cover-up’
