Four family members have petitioned President Museveni to order investigations into the handling of an estate dispute involving High Court Judge Deepa Verma and the office of the Administrator General, alleging irregularities in the administration of their grandparents’ estates.In a petition dated July 16, 2026, Bunny Wallia, Jonny Wallia, Ronnie Wallia and Jassie Ahluwalia accuse Justice Verma and the office of the Administrator General of presiding over what they describe as an irregular and potentially unlawful process relating to the estates of the late Zura Mama Kasuku and the late Ahluwalia Gudo in Mbarara.The four, who describe themselves as beneficiaries with legitimate interests in the estates, allege that succession proceedings were initiated without their knowledge, consultation or participation.”We, the above-named complainants and members of the family and persons with a legitimate interest in the estates of the late Zura Mama Kasuku and the late Ahluwalia Gudo, hereby lodge this formal complaint against Her Lordship Justice Deepa Verma…,” the petition states.They are asking the President to ensure that the matter is urgently investigated and that appropriate administrative, disciplinary, judicial or criminal action is taken should any wrongdoing be established.Mr Sandor Walusimbi, the Senior Presidential Press Secretary to President Museveni, when contacted on Monday, said he hadn’t gotten any information regarding the response to the petition by the head of state.According to the petition, Justice Verma and her brother, Jessa Wallia, allegedly initiated the opening and processing of files relating to the two estates at the Office of the Administrator General on June 12, 2026.The complainants further allege that on the same day, the Office of the Administrator General convened what was presented as a family meeting attended by only four people, excluding other beneficiaries.They contend that they were neither notified of nor invited to the meeting despite being direct descendants with interests in the estates.The petition also questions the speed with which the Office of the Administrator General issued certificates of no objection on June 15, just three days after the purported family meeting.”The complainants are seriously concerned about the speed and circumstances under which the certificates of no objection were issued,” the petition reads.According to the complaint, Justice Verma and her brother subsequently filed succession proceedings before the Family Division of the High Court without notifying other beneficiaries.The four say they only learnt of the proceedings after they had been advertised in the media.The complainants also argue that the matter raises concerns because one of the applicants seeking to administer the estates is a serving judicial officer.In an earlier letter addressed to the Principal Judge, they reportedly stated that before her appointment to the Bench, Justice Verma had served as the family’s lawyer and had longstanding ties to the family.Justice Deepa respondsWhen contacted on Tuesday evening, Justice Deepa branded the petition as pure jealousy from her cousins now that she is a judge of the High Court.’These are my cousins, and this is pure jealousy because now I’m a judge and they want to bring down my reputation. If truly the petition is before the President, I’m yet to see it, and I will respond accordingly if it’s brought to my attention,’ Justice Deepa said.She added, ‘The matter is in court, and actually, it’s coming up on Thursday for mediation before Justice Richard Buteera (retired Deputy Chief Justice). They (complainants) can’t run from the long arm of the law.’According to court records, it’s Justice Deepa who sued her cousins.When asked about the processing of the certificate of no objection within three days, the judge wondered why they were opposed to efficiency in government institutions.’So our institutions shouldn’t be efficient to get things in three days,’ she wondered.She went on to explain that when she was still a practicing lawyer, she was very busy and entrusted the complainants with running the said estate, but they allegedly mismanaged it. ‘These boys mismanaged the estate, and they are now riding on my position to bring me down. These boys are just jealous and vindictive. They think if they mess up my reputation, I will back out; I will not,’ she vowed.Adding, ‘The letters of administration that they had got expired in 2025, and since they had mismanaged the family estate, we had to move in,’ Justice Deepa further explained.She also defended her being the family lawyer in an extended family setting because she had earned their trust.awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com