All judges of the Supreme Court will soon publicly declare their assets on the court’s official website, Live Law reported on Thursday quoting unidentified persons.

The decision was reportedly made during a full-court meeting on Monday, after which a resolution was passed in the matter. The decision will be applicable to future judges as well, Bar and Bench reported.

The procedures for making these declarations are yet to be determined.

The decision comes amid allegations that unaccounted cash was found at Justice Yashwant Varma’s home while he was serving at the Delhi High Court on March 14, when emergency services responded to a fire there. The judge said he was in Bhopal at the time and claimed that the cash did not belong to him or his family.

On March 22, the Supreme Court released a report including a video and three photographs showing bundles of notes that were allegedly recovered from the judge’s home. The court had also set up a three-member committee to look into the allegations against Varma.

Varma has since been repatriated to the Allahabad High Court, which is his parent High Court. His oath-taking ceremony has been put on hold due to a public interest litigation challenging his transfer.

All judges of the Supreme Court have submitted their asset declarations, but it had been left to each judge’s discretion whether to publish them on the court’s website.

In 2009, the Supreme Court had decided to publish judges’ asset details on the court’s website after significant public and judicial pressure stemming from a 1997 resolution requiring judges to disclose their assets to the chief justice of India.


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