India, July 23 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai on Wednesday said he would constitute a bench to hear the petition filed by Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, who sought an expedited hearing of his plea challenging the findings of a Supreme Court-appointed in-house inquiry panel that concluded there was "strong inferential evidence" of his "covert or active control" over a stash of charred cash found at his official residence in Delhi earlier this year.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Justice Varma, mentioned the matter before the CJI and urged for early listing, citing important constitutional issues involved in the case. The CJI said it would not be proper for him to be part of the hearing benc...