Supreme Court Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan have declined a petition seeking an FIR against Justice Yashwant Varma, following allegations of unaccounted cash found at his residence on March 14. The bench noted that an in-house committee, set up by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, is already investigating the matter. It stated that any wrongdoing identified by the committee would be addressed through legal channels.

The ongoing in-house inquiry has not yet reached a conclusion. According to the Bench, if the report identifies any wrongdoing, a FIR could be filed, or the matter could be escalated to Parliament. The Bench stated that this is not the appropriate time to address the issue.

Advocate Mathews Nedumpara who filed a plea seeking registration of FIR against the alleged scam referred to a POCSO case in Kerala, highlighting that allegations were made against a retired judge, yet the police were unable to name the accused. He emphasized that while allegations can be investigated by the police, courts are not equipped to conduct such probes.

Advocate Mathews Nedumpara questioned the lack of action following the March 14 incident, raising concerns about the absence of a FIR, arrests, seizures, or initiation of criminal proceedings. He also criticized the delay in revealing the scandal and questioned why the Collegium did not disclose the existence of the videos.

Justice Oka highlighted that “You must educate the common man about the Supreme Court judgements laying down the law”

The Court stated that the petitioner was heard in person, and as per the Supreme Court's website, the in-house inquiry regarding the third respondent is ongoing. It emphasized that after the committee submits its report, multiple options will be available to the Chief Justice of India. Therefore, it deemed it inappropriate to entertain the plea or reconsider past judgments at this stage, and the plea was subsequently dismissed.

The Supreme Court observed that.”After the in-house inquiry report,if something is found wrong the CJI can direct registration of FIR against Justice Yashwant Varma or refer the matter to the parliament”