The Bombay Lawyers Association (BLA) has ignited a new controversy in the judiciary, calling on the Chief Justice of India to approve criminal prosecution against Justice Yashwant Varma—a sitting judge now under a darkening cloud of corruption allegations.
At the heart of the storm is a startling discovery made during a fire at Justice Varma’s official residence in Delhi. Firefighters, battling flames at the Tughlak Road government bungalow on March 14, stumbled upon an unexpected inferno of another kind: roughly ₹15 crore in partially charred currency strewn across the site. The residence belonged to Justice Varma, then a Delhi High Court judge.
Now, nearly three months later, the BLA has written to Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, asking for permission to initiate proceedings under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Their letter stresses a single core demand: equality before the law must prevail—even if the accused sits in robes.
Signed by BLA President Ahmed Abdi and Secretary Eknath R Dhokale, the letter doesn’t hold back. It accuses law enforcement of dragging its feet and raises alarm over the lack of an FIR, no formal seizure of cash, and the suspicious absence of any panchnama. The BLA cites a binding constitutional precedent from the K Veeraswami ruling, which held that sitting judges can be prosecuted under anti-corruption laws—provided the CJI approves it.
The group has also flagged the risk of evidence tampering, with delays potentially aiding the disappearance of crucial proof. They’ve urged the CJI to direct agencies like the Delhi Police or the CBI to immediately secure the scene and all material, including the half-burnt notes and surveillance visuals reportedly in existence.
The fire incident, initially brushed off as a minor blaze, has snowballed into a judicial scandal. A special in-house panel—comprising three High Court Chief Justices—was formed on March 22. Their report, completed in early May and submitted to the President and Prime Minister, reportedly indicted Justice Varma. A few days later, the judge was transferred to the Allahabad High Court and stripped of all casework.
But even that didn’t quiet the calls for accountability. On May 21, a plea demanding an FIR was dismissed by the Supreme Court as “premature.” Still, the Court left the door open for fresh action, allowing petitioners to approach appropriate forums.
The BLA has now done just that.
What happens next hinges on the CJI’s nod. But for now, the judiciary is grappling with a question that won’t go away: what happens when the flames of suspicion reach the bench itself—and justice risks burning at both ends?