Wild witch hunt: Delhi HC junks plea for CBI probe in Yashwant Varma cash case

The petitioner termed the matter 'extraordinary', but the court questioned his locus and directed him to approach the Delhi Police and the competent magistrate.Justice Yashwant Varma resigned in April amid ongoing parliamentary impeachment proceedings for his removalThe Delhi High Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking registration of an FIR and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the discovery of a large stash of cash at the residence of former Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma.Justice Amit Bansal questioned the locus of petitioner and advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay and said he had an alternative remedy of approaching the Delhi Police and, subsequently, the competent magistrate."I am not entertaining this, sir. This is a wild witch hunt. You have nothing better to do?" the court remarked.Appearing in person, Upadhyay argued that the matter was of an "extraordinary nature" and that a magistrate would not be competent to deal with it. He submitted that neither a magistrate nor a special court could direct a CBI or SIT probe. "He [the magistrate] cannot direct the CBI or SIT enquiry. A magistrate or special court will not be competent to deal with the matter," Upadhyay said.He further argued that criminal law could be set in motion by anyone and that there was no embargo on initiating proceedings in the matter. Central Government Standing Counsel Premtosh Kumar Mishra, appearing for the Union of India and the CBI, told the court that Upadhyay had previously approached the Supreme Court with the same plea and that it had been rejected.The High Court questioned why the petitioner had not approached the trial court with his request for registration of an FIR. After the court indicated that it would dismiss the plea, Upadhyay withdrew it, leaving him to consider the remedies available to him under law.The petitioner had earlier approached the Supreme Court with the same plea, which was dismissed in August.The matter relates to the discovery of a large stash of cash after a fire broke out at Justice Varma's official residence in Lutyens' Delhi in March 2025. Fire department personnel rushed to the spot and doused the flames, following which the discovery of the cash triggered a major controversy.Varma was subsequently transferred to the Allahabad High Court, his parent high court. He faced impeachment proceedings and resigned from office on April 9 this year.A parliamentary panel which probed the allegations during the impeachment process found all charges against the former Delhi High Court judge proved, citing unexplained cash at his official residence, mishandling of evidence and unsatisfactory explanations.The removal proceedings initiated by the Lok Sabha against Varma were however rendered "infructuous" following his resignation. He was due to superannuate on January 5, 2031.- EndsPublished On: Sep 21, 2026 15:07 IST