The RTI plea also requested copies of communications sent by the then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the matter.
The Supreme Court administration has turned down a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking access to the report prepared by a committee appointed by the apex court, which had indicted Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma in connection with the recent cash recovery controversy.
The RTI plea also requested copies of communications sent by the then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the matter. However, the court administration denied the request, citing the confidential nature of these communications and the possibility that disclosure could infringe on parliamentary privileges.
Earlier this month, former CJI Khanna had submitted the committee’s report, along with Justice Varma’s response, to both the President and the Prime Minister. The responsibility now lies with the executive and Parliament to determine the next steps.
As per the in-house procedure of the judiciary, the CJI initiates communication with the President and Prime Minister for possible impeachment if a judge fails to resign after being advised to do so.
On May 8, the Supreme Court confirmed in a statement: “The Chief Justice of India, in terms of the in-house procedure, has written to the President of India and the Prime Minister of India enclosing therewith a copy of the three-member committee report dated May 3, along with the letter/response dated May 6 received from Justice Yashwant Varma.”