Top Legal Developments This Week [6-12th April, 2026] | Justice Yashwant Varma’s Resignation; Revised VDA Rates; Sathankulam Custodial Deaths; and more
A quick roundup to cover all the important legal developments and cases this week.
Justice Yashwant Varma
“No Choice but to Withdraw”: Justice Yashwant Varma Quits Judges Inquiry Proceedings — His Letter Explains Why
Justice Varma cites reversed burden of proof, selective exclusion of evidence, and denial of fair hearing in cash-linked probe.
Justice Yashwant Varma resigns as Allahabad High Court Judge
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had reconstituted the 3-member inquiry committee to investigate the allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma.
Know Thy Judge | Supreme Court of India: Justice Augustine George Masih’s Dedicated Journey and Key Decisions
Justice Augustine George Masih served as a Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, and as a Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court before being appointed as the Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 9 November 2023.
Lok Sabha Reconstitutes 3-Member Inquiry Committee in Justice Yashwant Varma Case
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has reconstituted the 3-member inquiry committee to investigate the allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma.
Lok Sabha Speaker constitutes 3-Member Inquiry Committee to Examine Allegations Against Justice Yashwant Varma
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla formed a 3 Member Inquiry Committee after MPs’ proposal to examine March 2025 fire incident linked to recovery of unexplained burnt cash at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence.
In-House Procedure for inquiry into judicial misconduct is not a removal mechanism; much less an extra-constitutional mechanism: Supreme Court
The Court found the provision in paragraph 7(ii) of the Procedure requiring the CJI to write to the President and the Prime Minister along with the report of the Committee to be in order, legal and valid.
Justice Yashwant Varma Cash in House Row | 3- Member Committee submits report to CJI
The 3-Member Committee was constituted after reports surfaced that a huge pile of unaccounted cash amounting to Rs. 15 crores were found from the residence of Justice Varma.
Justice Yashwant Varma takes oath as Judge of Allahabad High Court
Justice Varma’s transfer was recommended by the Collegium on 24-3-2025 and the same was confirmed by the President of India on 28-3-2025.
Centre notifies transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad High Court
The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the Chief Justice of India, on 24-3-2025, recommended the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma.
Supreme Court Collegium recommends transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma to Allahabad High Court
An in-house enquiry was initiated by the Supreme Court after reports surfaced that a huge pile of unaccounted cash was found from the residence of Justice Varma.
CJI constitutes 3-member committee to inquire cash-in-house row; Justice Yashwant Varma signals conspiracy to frame and malign him
Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya has been directed to not assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Varma.
Supreme Court initiates enquiry against Delhi HC Judge Yashwant Varma over alleged cash-in-house row
Reports suggest that the cash was found when a fire brigade reached Justice Varma’s residence to douse a fire. Allegedly Justice Varma was not at his residence then.
‘Faceless framework was established to reduce direct human interaction in assessments’; Delhi High Court dismisses petition to quash reassessment notices for being issued by JAO
‘The Legislature recognized that while strict procedural compliance is fundamental to maintain fairness in assessment process, an inflexible adherence to procedure could inadvertently lead to administrative bottlenecks and a surge in litigation.’
Delhi High Court refuses to interfere with Award passed by Arbitral Tribunal in petition by the Airports Authority of India
‘Courts, while evaluating a challenge under Section 34, would not be justified in faulting an award merely because an alternative view was possible or that, in their opinion, a more just conclusion could have been reached.’
‘SC’s 2023 decision in Ashish Agarwal does not deprive assessee of the right to question initiation of reassessment based on S.149(1)’; Delhi HC quashes notice against Genpact India
‘Although Genpact had alluded to the amended statutory regime that had come into existence and had informed the AO of the obligation to follow the procedure under Section 148A, no legal challenge was instituted to impugn the action commenced by notice dated 30-06-2021.’
‘Transaction stood grandfathered by virtue of Article 13(3A) of India-Mauritius DTAA’; Delhi HC quashes AAR order holding Tiger Global-Flipkart transaction as ‘aimed at tax avoidance’
Merely because a parent entity may exercise shareholder influence over its subsidiary that would not lead to an assumption that the subsidiary in question was operating as a mere puppet or that it was wholly subservient to the parent entity.
‘Two different conclusions drawn on same material’; Delhi HC quashes reassessment notice issued by Assessing Officer on a mere change of opinion
The Court observed that no new material has been found by the Revenue which would warrant reopening the assessment. A reading of the notices will crystallize the fact that it has been issued merely based on a change of opinion.
‘S 149(1) neither effaces nor removes the first proviso to S153C (1)’; Delhi High Court quashes notice u/S 148 of IT Act
In cases where a search is conducted after 31-03-2021, the first proviso to Section 153C (1) would have to be construed and tested as regards the date when the Assessing Officer decides to initiate action against the non-searched entity.
Delhi High Court quashes reassessment notice for AY 2013-14 due to exceeding statutory time limit under Income Tax Act
The Court quashed the notice of reassessment issued on 31-3-2023 as it surpassed the ten-year block as prescribed u/S first provision to Section of 148(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.