"Judiciary under pressure, corrupt": Sanjay Raut attacks Centre over cash discovered from Delhi HC judge's house

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 23 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday took a jab at the Centre over the ongoing Justice Varma cash case and said that such incidents were taking place under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is known for saying 'na khayunga, na khane dunga' (I won't partake in corruption, nor allow others to do so).
Raut raised serious concerns about the discovery of a large sum of money, allegedly around Rs 15-Rs 20 crore at the residence of Justice Varma and accused the judiciary of being under pressure and corrupt, citing this case as an example of deeper systemic issues.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Raut said, "The CJI has formed a three member committee and also uploaded a video of the large amount of cash being burnt in the fire at the residence of Justice Varma. The video has been uploaded by the Delhi police commissioner and also the CJI, so alot of things are coming to the fore. However, under who's governance is this incident taking place? It is taking place under the governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is known for saying 'na khayunga, na khane dunga' (I won't partake in corruption, nor allow others to do so)."
Raut further claimed that the money found at Justice Varma's residence appeared to be the result of a day's earnings. He expressed his concern, calling the situation grave and highlighting the seriousness of corruption within the judiciary, particularly in the national capital.
"The cash were around 15-20 crore rupees, seems like it was a day's earning. I was in Delhi when the amount of the cash in the Justice Varma's house was being reported. This is grave and serious incident about the incident of the judiciary in Delhi," he stated.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also took this opportunity to reiterate his party's stance on judicial bias, saying, "This is why Shiv Sena did not receive justice in the Supreme Court. The judiciary is under pressure and corrupt."
Raut further alleged that the apex court's actions, including granting protection to 40 MLAs who left the party and supported an unconstitutional government, were directly linked to the cash found at Justice Varma's residence.
Earlier in the day, Senior Advocate in Supreme Court and BJP leader Nalin Kohli called for transparency and a clear explanation into the incident.
Nalin Kohli also cautioned against using this incident to undermine the reputation of the entire judiciary and made it clear that corruption, in any form, must not be tolerated, as it undermines the trust and credibility of any establishment or institution.
Kohli criticised the apparent disappearance of the cash after the initial discovery, with reports suggesting that a senior official from the Delhi High Court visited the house, only to find that the money was no longer there.
He said that a bad example in any field or institution cannot be used to tarnish the image of the entire establishment, whether it is political, executive, legislative and in this case the judiciary.
The Supreme Court released the inquiry report filed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay into the controversy involving High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, as per a press release by the Supreme Court.
In his report, the Delhi High Court Chief Justice said that he is of the prima facie opinion that the entire matter warrants a deeper probe.
The Supreme Court also released the response of Justice Yashwant Varma, who has denied the allegations and said that it clearly appeared to be a conspiracy to frame and malign him.Justice Varma stated that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by him or any of his family members, and he said he strongly denounced the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to them.
The room which caught fire and where cash was allegedly found was an outhouse and not the main building where the judge and family reside, he stated.
The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, instructed Justice Yashwant Varma to preserve all communication on his phone while acting on the directive of the Chief Justice of India (CJI); this included conversations, messages, and data, as the controversy surrounding him continued to unfold.
Justice Varma, in a statement to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, refuted the allegations implicating him in the cash recovery incident.
According to media reports, a fire at the judge's house inadvertently led to the firefighters' recovery of cash. The cash was found initially by fire tenders when a fire broke out in the judge's residence on March 14. The judge was not present at his house.