Kapil Sibal on the Cash Case: No Comments Until Investigation is Complete. He stated that until proven guilty, every individual should be presumed innocent.
Justice Yashwant Verma Case: Kapil Sibal, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, has reacted to the alleged recovery of cash from Justice Yashwant Verma's residence. He questioned the Supreme Court's decision to make the investigation report public, calling it a dangerous trend. Sibal argues that no responsible citizen should comment on the matter until the investigation is complete.
Sibal's Objection to the Supreme Court's Decision
Commenting on the Supreme Court's decision to release the investigation report, videos, and photos, Kapil Sibal, in an interview with a leading English newspaper, said that while it's a matter of their discretion, whether it was right or wrong will be determined in the future. He added that documents released by the court are often accepted as truth by the public, but their veracity is determined later.
Sibal termed this a dangerous precedent and suggested that proper consultation should occur before making institutional decisions. He also advocated for a clear mechanism for judges to handle such issues.
'Innocent Until Proven Guilty'
Kapil Sibal emphasized that an individual should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Since the investigation in this case is not yet complete, any public commentary would be inappropriate. Sibal appealed for maintaining the impartiality of the judicial process.
How the Case Came to Light?
On March 14th, a fire broke out at Justice Yashwant Verma's residence in New Delhi. Allegations of cash being recovered from his home emerged during this incident. This news caused a stir, and subsequently, he was transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court. The Supreme Court took cognizance of this incident and ordered an investigation.
Three-Member Committee to Investigate
On March 22nd, the Supreme Court constituted a three-member committee to investigate the matter. This committee includes Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, G.S. Sandhawalia, and Justice Anu Shivraman of the Karnataka High Court. This committee will investigate the entire incident and submit its report to the Supreme Court. Additionally, the Supreme Court also made public the Delhi High Court's revised internal investigation report and shared videos and photographs.
