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India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
No proof, report leaked: Details of Justice Varma's plea against burnt cash case
Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court, has petitioned the Supreme Court seeking to quash an in-house inquiry report that found him guilty of misconduct in connection with the alleged recovery of burnt currency from his official residence in his detailed plea, accessed by India Today TV, Justice Varma questioned the entire process, calling it unconstitutional, procedurally flawed, and violative of his fundamental rights. The judge, who has served on the bench for over 11 years, has argued that the inquiry was triggered in the absence of a formal complaint—based solely on presumptive queries about the fire incident and the purported discovery of to the petition, Justice Varma and his wife were vacationing in Madhya Pradesh when the fire broke out at their Delhi residence. His daughter and mother were at the premises at the time. The Delhi Fire Services and Police, the plea said, neither seized any cash nor drew up a formal panchnama to document the alleged recovery. "It appears that while attending to / extinguishing the fire, officials of the Delhi Fire Services ('DFS') and Delhi Police ('Police') discovered the presence of burnt currency/cash in the outhouse. They did not seize the alleged cash or prepare a panchnama or otherwise memorialize their discovery in any manner known to law. However, it appears that certain photos/videos were privately taken by some of these officials and formed the basis for events that follow," the plea stated."However, unofficial videos and photographs were circulated, which later formed the basis of widespread speculation and a press release that Justice Varma claims subjected him to a media trial," it judge has also alleged that the in-house committee violated principles of natural justice. Varma said he was never given a personal hearing by the Chief Justice of India and was denied the chance to participate in evidence collection, cross-examine witnesses, or access the full material, including CCTV footage."The Petitioner did not receive any response from the Hon'ble CJI and was not afforded any personal hearing in the matter," it the plea argued that the inquiry "did not clearly lay out a specific or tentative case against him", nor did it probe crucial facts, such as "who placed the cash, its quantity, ownership, source, or the actual cause of the fire". Instead, the findings rested on inferences, not direct evidence, Justice Varma Varma has also questioned the constitutional validity of the in-house procedure itself. "By culminating in recommendations for removal from constitutional office, it creates a parallel, extra-constitutional mechanism that derogates from the mandatory framework under Articles 124 and 218 of the Constitution, which exclusively vest powers for removal of Judges of the High Courts in Parliament through an address supported by a special majority, following an inquiry under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968," the plea judge's petition also pointed out that the final report was leaked to the media before he could formally respond, causing "irreparable harm" to his reputation and dignity."Unprecedented public disclosure of these unverified allegations via press release by this Hon'ble Court on 22.03.2025 subjected the Petitioner to media trial, resulting in irreparable damage to his personal reputation and career as a judicial officer," Justice Varma also said that he was given barely two days to reply to the committee's findings and was asked to resign or retire within that short Varma now wants the Supreme Court to declare the final report, the Chief Justice's recommendation to the President and Prime Minister, and all subsequent actions as 'unconstitutional' and "ultra vires". He argued that the process used against him sets a dangerous precedent by allowing the judiciary to bypass constitutional safeguards and statutory procedures meant to protect judges from arbitrary controversy dates back to March 2025, when a large quantity of burnt or partially burnt cash was allegedly found at his official residence in Delhi following a fire. Then serving with the Delhi High Court, Justice Varma has consistently denied any link to the cash, describing the episode as a conspiracy to frame May 2025, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna forwarded a recommendation to Parliament, urging impeachment proceedings against Justice Varma based on the committee's report — a recommendation Varma now wants to be struck down by the apex court.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Independence Day preparation: Mock drill across Delhi on Thursday, Friday
In preparation for Independence Day celebrations next month, the Delhi Police will hold a two-day mock drill across 10 locations in the national capital on Thursday and Friday. 'A number of stakeholder agencies, including the Delhi Police, will be participating and validating their preparedness and response. The general public is advised to extend cooperation and avoid falling for rumours and misunderstandings,' a Delhi Police officer said on Thursday. The officer added that the Special Cell of the Delhi Police will head the mock drill, and it will also coordinate with different agencies, such as the Delhi Fire Services, resident welfare associations, civil defence volunteers, the traffic police, and the health department, among others, to carry out the drill. 'The mock drills will test the agencies' preparedness through various scenarios and will help sharpen their response times,' he further said. So far, metro stations, government hospitals, shopping centres, college campuses, and the airport have been earmarked for conducting the drills. The mock drill is taking place two months after similar drills were carried out in 55 locations in Delhi following the Pahalgam terror attack. In May, the drills simulated multiple hostile scenarios – incoming air raids with siren activation and blackout procedures, urban fire emergencies, search and rescue operations, casualty evacuation, temporary hospital setups, and evacuation of civilians to demilitarised zones/bunkers. Last year, the Delhi Police amped up security considerably in the Red Fort area in the run-up to Independence Day. They mapped out strategic areas for snipers and SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) commandos, and installed 700 AI-based facial recognition CCTV cameras in central and New Delhi. As part of the security arrangements last year, the Delhi Police also had to keep a close eye on the wind direction on August 15 and keep 'kite-catchers' on reserve to stop loose kites from flying down to the Red Fort.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Delhi Fire Chief Atul Garg transferred – three months before his retirement
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg's sudden transfer has raised eyebrows in the department — he was due to retire in three months, on October 31. Garg held the post for six years since December 2019. He will now serve as Director, Fire Safety Management Academy. The order was issued by Delhi government's Home Department on July 14, which stated, 'Lt. Governor, Delhi, is pleased to order that Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Services, is transferred and posted as Director (Fire Safety Management Academy), Delhi Fire Services, with immediate effect…' As per the order, Garg will report to the Principal Director (Delhi Fire Services) — a new post created in June by the Delhi government — but will no longer be part of the DFS. IAS officer A Nedunchezhiyan of the 2012 batch (AGMUT cadre) — recently transferred from Puducherry to Delhi — has been appointed as the Principal Director. There has been no official order regarding Garg's successor, according to sources. Garg did not respond when contacted for comment. Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood did not respond to messages or phone calls when contacted for a comment on the reason behind Garg's transfer. Sources said the Principal Director's post was created to appoint an IAS cadre-level officer as the head of the fire department. Until now, the posts of Director and Chief Fire Officers had been held by officers from the technical cadre. Currently, there are five Chief Fire Officers and five Deputy Chief Fire Officers who report to the Director. These officers will now report to Nedunchezhiyan, they said. The post of Director was created after the implementation of the new Delhi Fire Service Rules in 2010. Prior to this, the DFS was headed by an officer of the Chief Fire Officer rank. SK Dheri was the longest serving Chief Fire Officer — he held the post for 17 years in the 1990s. Before Garg, G C Mishra, A K Sharma, and R C Sharma retired from the post of DFS Director. They were from the technical cadre, an official said. Garg had joined the unit in 2002 and was also awarded the Meritorious Services medal in 2009. Sources said that while Garg's tenure remained largely uneventful, he came into the limelight earlier this year during the alleged cash recovery incident at the residence of a Delhi High Court judge after a fire. Currently, DFS has a staff strength of 3,312 against the sanctioned strength of 3,623.
India Today
6 days ago
- India Today
12-year-old behind hoax bomb threats to St Stephen's College, Dwarka school
Delhi Police have traced the bomb threat emails sent to St. Stephen's College and St. Thomas School in Dwarka on July 15 to a class 8 student. The 12-year-old student, who studies at a different school, sent the threats as a prank, according to detained the child for questioning and released him after hoax emails had created panic on Tuesday morning. Authorities at both St. Stephen's College and St. Thomas School received threatening emails claiming that multiple bombs had been planted on their The email to St. Stephen's College, received around 7.15 am, mentioned four IEDs and two RDX bombs, warning they would explode by 2 the alerts, the campuses were evacuated, students were sent home, and bomb detection and disposal squads, along with Delhi Fire Services and local police, conducted intensive teams from Maurice Nagar Police Station, along with other agencies, had arrived at the scene and sealed off the entire area. A detailed search of the premises was conducted, but no suspicious items were found, officials to Delhi Fire Services, they received a bomb threat call from St. Thomas School at 8:01 am, followed by another from St. Stephen's College at 8:50 am. Fire tenders were immediately dispatched to both seven more schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails on Wednesday, all of which were later confirmed to be hoaxes following thorough schools targeted included Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, Mother's International School in Hauz Khas, Richmond Global School in Paschim Vihar, Prudence School branches in Paschim Vihar and Pitampura, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Lodhi Estate, and St. Thomas School in Paschim marked the third consecutive day of fake bomb threats aimed at schools across the city, causing repeated panic and disruptions.- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
14-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Two Delhi schools receive bomb threat emails, police search premises
Two schools in Delhi received an email about a bomb on its premises on Monday morning, police said. A thorough combing exercise is underway in both the schools. Police officials outside a school after it received bomb threat email.(ANI) Delhi Fire Services (DFS) confirmed that they received calls from two schools - the CRPF Public School in Dwarka Sector 16 and Navy School in Chanakyapuri - in which the administration said that they received the email after which the bomb squad, dog squad and other agencies were alerted. The children were evacuated, officials aware of the matter said. Earlier this year in February, a private school and a Delhi University (DU) college in Delhi received separate bomb threat emails which the authorities said it that the mails turned out to be hoax. In May, the Directorate of Education (DoE) issued a 115-point Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to address bomb threats in Delhi schools, following Delhi High Court directions and in coordination with national and local agencies. The SOP applies to government, aided, minority, and recognised unaided private schools. Schools must conduct regular mock drills, install surveillance, and enforce strict access control. Heads of schools will manage emergency responses in coordination with police and disaster services, while teachers and students are expected to follow safety protocols. 'Every threat will be treated as real,' the SOP notes, urging immediate alerts to authorities without spreading panic. Provisions include pre-identified evacuation routes, support for children with disabilities, and updated contact information for parents. Delhi Police will secure the area and assess threats, while fire and traffic services will support emergency access. The SOP outlines four phases: prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. After incidents, schools must offer counselling and resume classes only after safety measures are restored. While some private schools claim compliance, parent groups highlight gaps in infrastructure and call for transparent tracking of implementation to ensure student safety.
