New Delhi, March 21: After reports surfaced of a large sum of cash found at the residence of Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, retired Justice S.N. Dhingra said on Friday that there is deep-rooted corruption within the judiciary.

Speaking to IANS he said, "This is a glaring example of corruption in the judiciary. The cash was found accidentally -- there may be many other such cases."

He called for an immediate FIR against Justice Varma. "The Supreme Court should have allowed the filing of an FIR and permitted the normal legal process to proceed."

"A judge is not above the law. If a judge commits murder, will the Supreme Court prevent an FIR from being lodged? There is no immunity for judges in such matters," he asserted.

The former Delhi HC Judge also criticised Justice Varma's decision to go on leave rather than resign. "If he does not resign, the only option left is impeachment," he told IANS.

Following the cash discovery, the Supreme Court Collegium transferred Justice Varma back to the Allahabad High Court, where he had previously served. However, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association has strongly opposed the transfer, expressing concern over the move.

In a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and other judges, the association condemned the decision, arguing that reappointing a judge under suspicion undermines the dignity of the High Court.

"If Justice Yashwant Varma is accused of possessing such a large amount of cash, an investigation should be conducted instead of transferring him to another High Court," the letter stated.

The association expressed shock at the Collegium's decision and urged a thorough investigation into the matter rather than a mere transfer.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday initiated an internal probe against Justice Yashwant Varma as per the established "in-house procedure".

As per the “in-house procedure”, the CJI is competent to receive complaints against the conduct of judges of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justices of the High Courts.

As per media reports, a huge amount of cash was found when a fire brigade had gone to the judge's residence to douse a fire, when Justice Varma was not at home.

--IANS

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