On Saturday, the Supreme Court of India made public an in-house inquiry report into the discovery of large amount of burnt cash at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.
Alongside the report, the apex court also released photographs and videos showing partially burnt bundles of currency recovered from the judge’s government-allotted bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi.
The event unfolded on the night of Holi, March 14, when a fire broke out in the storeroom of Justice Varma’s residence at 8, Moti Lal Nehru Marg. Firefighters who arrived at the scene reportedly found charred and semi-burnt currency notes among the debris. The information was subsequently reported to the police by Varma’s personal secretary after midnight.
SC Releases Visuals of Burnt Cash Found After Fire Incident
The Supreme Court, in its official statement, said the visuals were released “in the interest of transparency.” The images and videos show charred currency notes strewn across the premises. The apex court noted that the decision to make this evidence public was taken after careful deliberation within the judiciary, owing to the seriousness of the matter.
However, Justice Yashwant Varma has denied any knowledge of the money, claiming that the storeroom was accessible to multiple individuals, including servants, gardeners, and CPWD personnel. In his written response to the Delhi High Court’s inquiry panel, portions of which are included in the Supreme Court’s report, Varma said, “We are as shocked as anyone else. Neither I nor any member of my family has kept any cash in the said storeroom. This appears to be a deliberate attempt to malign me.”
A preliminary inquiry was conducted by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya, who submitted his report to the Supreme Court. The report notes that the only individuals with authorized access to the storeroom were members of Justice Varma’s family, domestic staff, and CPWD personnel. “Prima facie, the matter warrants a full-fledged inquiry,” the report concluded.
Following these developments, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has directed that no judicial work be assigned to Justice Varma until the investigation is complete.
A three-member inquiry panel has been formed, comprising Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court), Justice G S Sandhawalia (Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge, Karnataka High Court). The panel has been tasked with conducting a detailed investigation and submitting its findings within eight weeks.
The Supreme Court has also asked Justice Varma to preserve all digital data, including phone records and messaging histories. The court has sought call records, CCTV footage, and visitor entry logs at the judge’s residence for the past six months. The Delhi Police Commissioner’s report states that the partially burnt currency was removed from the scene on the morning of March 15.
Oppositions Demands Accountability Over Burnt Cash Discovery
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal on Saturday demanded full accountability, saying, “The judiciary is the final pillar of trust in this country. We urge the Supreme Court to pursue this matter without fear or favor.”
Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala also called for judicial independence to be safeguarded, warning that the executive must not use the incident to interfere in judicial appointments.
In a parallel development, the Supreme Court Collegium, on March 20, discussed the possibility of transferring Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court. Letters have been sent to consultee judges and the chief justices of the concerned high courts.
Justice Yashwant Varma, who enrolled as an advocate in 1992, was appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2014, became a permanent judge in 2016, and was transferred to the Delhi High Court in 2021. He currently presides over tax and corporate benches in the Delhi High Court.
