The sensational episode of burnt cash found at Delhi High Court’s second senior-most judge, Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence, has brought back focus on the judiciary again. The inquiry is ongoing, and no conclusion should be drawn hastily. Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna has done the right thing to move with alacrity; he not only ordered an inquiry by three eminent judges of three high courts but also put the preliminary report submitted by Delhi HC Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and the video of burnt cash on the Supreme Court’s website.

The report also has Justice Varma’s version in which he says he is a victim of a larger conspiracy. This report is in the public domain; anyone can access and read the report. This has killed many birds with one stone. First, Delhi is a hotbed of political rumours and gossip.

In the last few years, rumour-mongering has evolved into a fine art to finish anyone’s career and a reputation built over decades. Such rumours spread faster than one can imagine in the age defined by omnipresent social media. In this age, misinformation, disinformation, fake news, distorted and half-truths have been weaponised as a part of the political narrative. Transparency is the best tool to counter this nemesis. Rumours would have scaled Himalayan peaks if attempts had been made to suppress the report's details.

Now, details are in the public domain, and anyone can draw their own conclusion based on the facts detailed in the report. Second, it has also given the public an opportunity to learn about Justice Yashwant Varma’s version. Judges are constrained by tradition.........

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