SC Makes Judges’ Assets Public: Transparency Push Gains Momentum Amid Cash Recovery Controversy

New Delhi, 6th May 2025: In a significant step towards judicial transparency, the Supreme Court of India has uploaded the asset declarations of its judges on its official website. The move, announced via a press release on Monday, is aimed at strengthening public confidence in the judiciary—an institution under increased scrutiny following a recent controversy involving a Delhi High Court judge.

However, the effort appears to be a work in progress. Out of 33 sitting Supreme Court judges, asset details of only 21 judges are currently available online. The court clarified that the remaining judges have submitted their disclosures but the documents are yet to be uploaded.

Transparency Triggered by Controversy
The Supreme Court’s decision comes weeks after a fire at the official residence of Justice Yashwant Verma, then a judge of the Delhi High Court, led to the sensational recovery of half-burnt bundles of cash. The incident occurred on March 14, Holi night, when Justice Verma was away and his family called the fire brigade after flames broke out at their government bungalow at 30, Tughlaq Crescent.

While extinguishing the fire, emergency personnel reportedly found large quantities of burning currency notes in the store room. As videos and photos of the scene surfaced, public outrage and demands for accountability surged.

The Supreme Court, on May 5, confirmed via a press release that an inquiry report into the Verma case had been submitted to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on May 4. The report, prepared by a three-member panel headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu (Punjab and Haryana HC), along with Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia (Himachal Pradesh HC) and Chief Justice Anu Sivaraman (Karnataka HC), was commissioned on March 21.

Pending further action, Justice Verma was transferred to the Allahabad High Court, where he took oath on April 5, 2025. Notably, the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court was instructed not to assign any judicial work to him.

From Closed Books to Open Files
The decision to disclose judges’ assets is not entirely new, but its public nature is. A 1997 resolution by then CJI J.S. Verma required judges to declare their assets to the Chief Justice—but the information remained confidential.

In 2009, the Judges’ Assets and Liabilities Declaration Bill sought to formalize such disclosures but controversially prohibited public access. Facing backlash, the bill was shelved. That same year, amid growing demand under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, some judges voluntarily made their assets public.
Now, in a formal move, the Supreme Court has not only begun uploading asset declarations, but also details of judicial appointments and the entire process of High Court and Supreme Court judge recommendations.

Revealing the Roster: Collegium Data Made Public

In an unprecedented display of transparency, the court has made public the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendations from November 9, 2022 to May 5, 2025, including details like:
Name of the judge
High Court and source (judicial service or bar)
Date of recommendation and appointment
Caste and gender categorization (SC/ST/OBC/Minority/Women)
Relationship with any sitting or retired High Court/Supreme Court judge
According to the data, the Collegium considered 303 candidates, recommending 170 appointments. Among them:
7 judges from Scheduled Castes (SC)
5 from Scheduled Tribes (ST)
21 from Other Backward Classes (OBC)
7 from Extremely Backward Classes (EBC)
28 women
23 from minority communities
Additionally, 12 judges recommended had familial ties to serving or retired judges. Of these, 11 were appointed, including:
3 in Rajasthan,
2 each in Allahabad and Chhattisgarh,
1 each in Bombay, Patna, Gujarat, and Delhi High Courts
The relationships ranged from sons and daughters to brothers-in-law and in-laws of judges.

Why This Matters
The Supreme Court’s move comes at a time when public trust in institutions is under strain. Judicial transparency, especially in appointments and personal asset declarations, has long been a demand of legal activists and civil society. By making this information accessible, the apex court appears to be aligning itself with global norms of open governance and judicial accountability.