New Delhi, March 21 Congress Member of Parliament Jairam Ramesh on Friday raised the issue of a large amount of cash discovered at the residence of a Delhi High Court judge, in the Rajya Sabha.
Ramesh called for a transparent and effective response to the incident.
During the session, Ramesh urged Rajya Sabha Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar, to make a statement on the issue. He also reminded the House of a previous notice related to the impeachment of an Allahabad High Court judge, stressing the importance of upholding the integrity of the judiciary.
In response, Chairman Dhankhar underlined the need for a consistent and impartial mechanism to address allegations of misconduct across all sectors. He remarked that when similar incidents involve politicians, bureaucrats, or industrialists, there is an immediate public and institutional reaction.
"A systemic response is necessary -- one that is transparent, accountable, and effective," he said.
Dhankhar assured the House that he would engage with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition to explore the possibility of a structured discussion on the issue during the current session.
Reflecting on past legislative efforts, Dhankhar pointed to a historic Bill addressing judicial accountability, which was passed with near-unanimous support in the Rajya Sabha and subsequently ratified by 16 state legislatures.
He questioned the current status of the Bill, highlighting that had it been implemented effectively, incidents like the discovery of cash at the judge's residence might have been avoided. "If that problem had been resolved earlier, we might not have had to face these kinds of issues," he remarked.
Dhankhar also noted that the Rajya Sabha is uniquely positioned to address such concerns due to the presence of influential leaders from both the ruling and Opposition parties. "With these two eminent personalities present, I am sure their advice and that of other members will be useful," he said.
Various media outlets on Friday reported that a huge amount of cash was recovered from the residence of Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma when a fire brigade had gone there to douse a fire.
According to reports, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the transfer of Justice Varma back to his parent High Court - the Allahabad High Court.
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