On Saturday, the Supreme Court released the inquiry report along with photos and video of burnt cash found at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma following a fire incident. The documents, uploaded on the apex court’s website, show Justice Varma’s refuting the allegations.
On March 14, fire at a storeroom within Justice Varma’s government-allocated bungalow in Tughlak Crescent, New Delhi. The Delhi Police Commissioner reported that a call regarding the fire was made by Varma’s personal secretary, and subsequent investigations revealed the presence of partially burned currency in the room.
Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Friday asked Delhi High Court Chief Justice Upadhyay to seek a response from Justice Varma on the presence of “unaccounted cash” the “source” of the money and the person who removed the “burnt cash” on the morning of March 15.
Additionally, Justice Varma was asked not to dispose of his phone or to delete any mobile number, message or data from his mobile phone.
The Supreme Court of India has constituted a three-member committee to investigate allegations against Justice Varma. The panel includes Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, and Justice Anu Sivaraman of the Karnataka High Court.
The Supreme Court publicised the videos and photographs shared by the Delhi Police regarding the firefighting operation in Justice Varma’s residence on March 14, when he was not present in his home.
Justice Varma has denied any knowledge of the money, claiming that the storeroom was accessible to multiple individuals, including servants, gardeners, and CPWD personnel. In a written response, he suggested the incident could be a conspiracy against him and emphasized that he and his wife were in Bhopal at the time of the fire.
The Delhi High Court Chief Justice has refrained from assigning judicial work to Justice Varma pending the inquiry. Officials have also sought details of call records and security postings at the judge’s residence over the past six months.
The Supreme Court’s decision to launch a formal probe follows concerns raised by the judiciary regarding the incident and its implications. Justice Varma has expressed concerns over media reports linking him to the allegations and has requested a fair investigation to clear his name.
