‘Cash at judge’s house’: Rajya Sabha chairman praises CJI for quickly setting up 3-judge panel-OxBig News Network

Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday praised Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna for quickly setting up a three-judge panel to probe allegations of unaccounted cash seizure at the house of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court during a fire on March 14, terming it as a step in the right direction.

After a meeting with Leader of the House JP Nadda and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on the issue, the Rajya Sabha chairman welcomed the handling of the controversy in a transparent manner using the in-house mechanism and emphasised that such kind of malaise needed to be eradicated.

On March 21, the issue was raised by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in the Rajya Sabha and chairman Dhankhar had expressed shock and assured a structured discussion on the issue. Lamenting that the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2015, the Rajya Sabha chairman had said, “If the malaise had been dealt with perhaps we would not have countenanced such kind of issues.”

On Monday, Dhankhar said, “It is for the first time since independence that a Chief Justice has in a transparent, accountable manner put all material available to him in public domain and shared it without keeping anything with the court. This is a step in the right direction. The constitution of a committee by the Chief Justice of India and the alertness he has reflected is also a factor that needs consideration. Institutions like the judiciary and the legislature serve their purpose best when their in-house mechanism is effective, fast and upholding public trust.”

He said, “I have indicated firmly that these steps taken so far by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna are unprecedented if we go by past performance, and no effort will be spared to make available in public domain by way of an inquiry what could possibly be the requirement in such a challenging situation that is agitating mind of members of the judiciary, members of the Bar, parliamentarians and public at large.”

The Rajya Sabha chairman, however, said, “Since it is for the first time that the Chief Justice has initiated action in a very, very impactful, transparent manner, it will be worthwhile to await the outcome of the committee as that will enable us to have the entire material for our consideration.”

He appreciated Kharge’s “very thoughtful suggestion” that, consistent with parliamentary practice, the issue needed to be deliberated upon with floor leaders. Finding the suggestion in order and fully approved of by “all three of us”, Dhankhar assured that a meeting would be scheduled where he would extend an invitation to floor leaders in the Rajya Sabha to take a call on the issue. “I will schedule a meeting and send intimation as suggested by Kharge ji and Nadda ji in this direction,” he said.

“I am grateful for their very deep understanding as both of them with rich experience, both being presidents of their respective political parties and holding constitutional offices, have believed that institutions in the country must blossom only with integrity and public commitment… I am grateful to both of them for the time they have devoted to this issue in a spirit of keeping the nation ahead of everything else,” the Rajya Sabha chairman said.