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Facing a removal motion in Parliament following the recovery of sacks of cash from his official residence in Delhi, Justice Yashwant Varma has approached the Supreme Court, seeking to quash the in-house inquiry report and the then Chief Justice of India’s recommendation for stripping him of judgeship. In a notable move, Justice Varma has concealed his identity in the petition, which is listed under the title “XXX vs Union of India”.

The petition will be heard on Monday by a bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih. Filed on 17 July and formally registered on 24 July after rectification of registry defects, the civil writ petition bears the number 699 of this year. The Union of India is listed as the first respondent, while the Supreme Court itself is the second.

The use of anonymity, commonly reserved for victims of sexual assault, juveniles, or parties in sensitive matrimonial cases, has drawn attention, given that Justice Varma is a sitting judge. The Supreme Court has previously directed that such concealment be used sparingly and only in prescribed categories.

Parallel Petition Seeks FIR in Cash Recovery Case

In a related matter, a petition filed by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara seeking an FIR against Justice Varma over the recovered cash, its subsequent burning, and disappearance is also listed before the same bench on Monday. It is serial number 59 on the court's cause list.

The Lok Sabha has admitted a removal motion against Justice Varma, signed by over 150 MPs. The Speaker is expected to write to CJI BR Gavai this week to nominate an SC judge and an HC Chief Justice for an inquiry panel under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968.