New Delhi, July 30(HS): The Supreme Court has reserved its decision on the petition regarding the internal investigation panel's report about Justice Yashwant Verma of the Allahabad High Court. A bench led by Justice Dipankar Dutta criticized Justice Verma's credibility and questioned his appearance before the panel without challenging its report first. The court noted that if the Chief Justice considers his conduct lacking credibility, he could notify the President and Prime Minister, a decision that remains political but sends an essential message about adherence to the law.

The court previously stated that Justice Verma was opposed to sending the report to the President, who is the constitutional authority in such matters. Justice Verma's Advocate, Kapil Sibal, contended that while they are not opposing informing the President, there should be clarity on the ownership of cash found at Justice Verma's home.

Justice Verma's petition seeks to annul both the investigation panel's report and a recommendation by former Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna for impeachment proceedings. Following the discovery of cash at his residence on March 14, a Supreme Court-ordered investigation committee was formed, consisting of chief justices from multiple high courts, to probe the matter.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar