Dhankhar discusses judicial accountability with Nadda, Kharge 

Cash recovered from Delhi judge’s home: Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar meets J.P. Nadda and Mallikarjun Kharge on judicial accountability

Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday (March 24, 2025) held a meeting with Leader of the House and Union Minister J.P. Nadda as well as Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on judicial accountability, in the backdrop of allegation of discovery of “sacks” of half-burnt currency notes from the official premises of a Delhi High Court judge.

Mr. Dhankhar said they decided to await the outcome of the Chief Justice of India (CJI)-appointed in-house inquiry panel before before moving ahead with the issue.

The two leaders held closed-door consultations with the Chairman in his chamber at 11.30 a.m., but Mr. Dhankhar’s video statement was released by his office.

The meeting came in the wake of Mr. Dhankhar recalling the political parties’ “unprecedented consensual support” to the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in October 2015.

A staunch critic of the Supreme Court’s order that struck down the NJAC Act, Mr. Dhankhar said he would call a meeting of the floor leaders of all parties to discuss the NJAC issue and take it forward. Mr. Kharge had suggested that the issue be deliberated with floor leaders, he added.

Praising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna for being “impactful and transparent [on the cash recovery row],” Mr. Dhankhar said: “ It is for the first time since Independence that a Chief Justice of India has in a transparent, accountable manner put all material available to him in public domain and shared it without keeping anything with the court.”

Calling it a step in the right direction, the Chairman said, “Constitution of a committee by the Chief Justice of India and the alertness he has reflected is also a factor that needs consideration. Institutions like judiciary and legislature serve their purpose best when their in-house mechanism is effective, fast and upholding public trust.”