New Delhi: The Supreme Court has made public the report of Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Devendra Kumar Upadhyay in an unprecedented step, which was asked to conduct a initial investigation into a large -scale cash discovery of cash at Justice Yashwant Verma.
The report was submitted on Friday evening.
In his report to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjeev Khanna, Justice Upadhyay concluded that the incident conducted a deep investigation. He dismissed Justice Verma’s clarification that the store room, where the alleged cash was allegedly found, is always unlocked and anyone can be accessed, indicating that the money was kept by some outsider and not belonging to any member of the judge or his family.
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“On investigating the incident, the available material and reaction of Justice Yashwant Verma, who I think in his report on March 16, has stated that according to the guards posted at the residence of Justice Yashwant Verma, the debis and other partially burnt articles were removed from the room where the fire broke out on the morning of 15 March.”
It states: “I do not reveal the possibility of entering or accessing the room by me, Prima Feshi, bungalows, servants, gardeners and any person living in CPWD personal, if any.
The report said that as part of his investigation, Justice Upadhyay has requested the Delhi Police Commissioner not to get a call record details of Justice Verma’s mobile phone for the last six months, and asked the judge not to settle the handset, nor to remove any interaction, message or data from the device.
In addition, information has been sought from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Security) about the details of individual security officers and security guards posted at Justice Verma’s residence during the last six months, which is from 1 September 2024 to date.
Chief Justice Upadhyay has sought these details as per the instructions of CG Khanna issued to him through a letter on Friday.
Justice Verma denied
The report explains the entire sequence of incidents in connection with the alleged incident, and how Justice Upadhyay came to know about the discovery of cash in the residence of Justice Verma’s residence on the morning of 15 March. Justice Upadhyay was in Lucknow at that time and had a telephonic conversation with the Police Commissioner. A day later, he was also told how the debris and half the burnt articles were removed from the spot on 15 March.
The 25-Page report also includes Justice Verma’s six-room response, which has been rejected by allegations and photographs as well as burnt cash videos.
Justice Verma said in his reply that he was being implicated to tarnish his reputation and fasting for his integrity, given the fact that there has never been any complaint in his long judicial career of his decade.
“I will also inspire you to keep in mind that as a judge of a High Court in all my years, no such allegations were ever made in the past nor is there any doubt on my integrity. In fact, I would be grateful whether an investigation is done regarding my functioning as a judge and what is the perception of the legal fraternity in relation to my integrity.”
Refuting the allegations, he further said: “I unevenly explain that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom by any of my or any member of my family and strongly condemns the suggestion that the alleged cash was for us. It is a very thought or suggestion that this cash was kept or stored by us.”
He further said: “The suggestion that a person will store cash in an open, freely accessible and commonly used storroom staff quarters or an out-house on an out-house verge on incredible and incredible.
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