Cash Destruction by Justice Varma: Apex Court Orders Probe

Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma Under Scrutiny Amid Shocking Allegations of Cash Destruction

Judicial Integrity in Crisis as Supreme Court Initiates Investigation

New Delhi, March 22, 2025 – The Indian judiciary is facing an unprecedented crisis as shocking videos purportedly showing at least 4 or 5 sacks of burning cash at the official residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma have surfaced, triggering a full-fledged Supreme Court inquiry. The Chief Justice of India (CJI) has constituted a high-level three-member committee to probe the allegations against the sitting judge, raising grave concerns about judicial corruption, financial impropriety, and obstruction of justice.

Judicial Probe Initiated: Supreme Court Responds Swiftly

On March 22, 2025, the Supreme Court of India, in a formal press release, announced the constitution of an inquiry committee comprising:

• Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court
• Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court
• Justice Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the Karnataka High Court

This judicial commission has been entrusted with investigating the fire incident at Judge Yashwant Varma’s official residence at 30, Tughlak Crescent, New Delhi, where large quantities of cash were allegedly set ablaze. The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court has been directed not to assign any judicial work to Justice Varma until further notice.

The Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi for the time being has been asked not to assign any judicial work to Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma.

Chain of Events: A Suspicious Fire, Hidden Cash, and Damning Video Evidence

The timeline of events, as reconstructed from official reports, raises serious red flags regarding the circumstances under which the alleged destruction of evidence took place:

• March 14, 2025, 11:30 PM: A fire breaks out in a storeroom adjacent to the office at Justice Varma’s official residence.
• March 15, 2025, 4:50 PM: Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora informs the Chief Justice of India (CJI) about the incident.
• March 16, 2025: The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court personally visits the site and finds charred remains, blackened walls, and cracks due to the heat.
• March 17, 2025: Justice Varma, in a meeting with Delhi High Court officials, claims the room contained “old furniture and household items”, but expresses concern about a possible conspiracy against him.
• March 20, 2025: Shocking video evidence is submitted to the Supreme Court, purportedly showing sacks of cash being set on fire inside the premises.
• March 21, 2025: The Supreme Court orders an official response from Justice Varma regarding:
  • The source of the cash found at his residence.
  • The identity of individuals involved in its disposal.
  • The details of security personnel and domestic staff who had access to the site.
• March 22, 2025: The Delhi High Court Chief Justice formally recommends a deeper probe and considers Justice Varma’s repatriation to the Allahabad High Court for the duration of the investigation.

On receiving the information from the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, I instructed Registrarcum-Secretary attached with me, to visit the spot. accordingly, visited the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma and on reaching there, he called Private Secretary to Justice Yashwant Varma to come out of the bungalow. came out and took to Justice
Yashwant Varma who was sitting in hisoffice. Justice Yashwant Varma, visited the room
where the fire had taken place, which is adjacent to the office. (Devendra Kumar Upadhyay)

Summary of the Notice to Justice Yashwant Varma by the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Devendra Kumar Upadhyay

Justice Yashwant Varma has been formally notified regarding a fire incident at his official residence on March 14, 2025, which was reported by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. The fire broke out in a store room at around 11:30 PM. Following the incident, photographs and a video were shared with the notifying authority. A subsequent inspection was carried out by the Registrar-cum-Secretary in the presence of Justice Varma and his Private Secretary. The room, allegedly used for storing household waste, exhibited significant fire damage with blackened walls, cracks, and partially burnt articles.

During their interaction on March 17, 2025, Justice Varma claimed that the room contained only unusable furniture and mattresses, accessible to servants, gardeners, and CPWD personnel. He stated that he was in Bhopal at the time and was informed of the incident by his daughter. Upon viewing the video evidence, Justice Varma expressed suspicions of a conspiracy.

The Commissioner’s report highlighted that burnt debris was removed from the site on the morning of March 15, 2025, allegedly without proper procedural oversight. Furthermore, the presence of burnt currency notes at the scene raised serious concerns. Justice Varma is now required to provide a written explanation by 12:00 PM on March 22, 2025, addressing:

1. The origin and justification for the presence of the cash.
2. The source of the money found in the room.
3. Identification of the individual responsible for removing the burnt currency.

Additionally, Justice Varma has been instructed to preserve his mobile phone data, refraining from any deletion or modification of messages, conversations, or information. The inquiry is supported by detailed reports, videos, and photographs submitted by the Delhi Police.

Summary of Justice Yashwant Varma’s Response to Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay

Justice Yashwant Varma submitted his reply to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on 22 March 2025 regarding the fire incident at his official residence on 14-15 March 2025. He expressed his concern about the accusations, firmly denying any involvement or knowledge of the presence of cash in the burnt store room.

Key points from his response include:

1. Nature of the Room:
   • The storeroom was near the staff quarters, not connected to the main residence.
   • It was an unlocked space used to store discarded household items like furniture, carpets, and CPWD materials.
   • Multiple people, including staff, gardeners, and CPWD personnel, had access to the room.
2. Incident and Response:
   • On the night of the incident, Justice Varma was in Bhopal with his wife, and only his daughter and aged mother were at home.
   • His daughter and Private Secretary alerted the Fire Service.
   • After the fire was extinguished, no currency was observed by family members or staff.
3. Denial of Allegations:
   • Justice Varma strongly refuted claims of cash storage, calling them “preposterous.”Cash Destruction by Justice Varma: Apex Court Orders Probe
   • He rejected the suggestion that he or his family would store currency in an accessible, exposed area.
   • He questioned the authenticity of the alleged video showing burnt currency, claiming the site looked different during his inspection.
4. Conspiracy Allegations:
   • Justice Varma suggested the possibility of a conspiracy to frame him, referencing previous social media allegations in December 2024.
   • He also criticized the media for publishing defamatory reports without verification.
5. Specific Queries Addressed:
   • Presence of Cash: He denied any knowledge of cash in the store room.
   • Source of Money: Since he refuted the existence of the cash, the question of its source was deemed irrelevant.
   • Removal of Currency: He asserted that neither he nor his family or staff removed any currency.
6. Call for Fair Inquiry:
   • Justice Varma emphasized his clean judicial record and requested a fair investigation to restore his tarnished reputation.
   • He also expressed willingness to have his judicial conduct scrutinized to establish his integrity.

In conclusion, Justice Varma firmly denied all allegations and sought exoneration from the accusations.

I was never aware of any money or cash lying in the outhouse storeroom. Neither I nor any of my family members had any knowledge of cash nor does it have any bearing or relation with me or my family. No such cash or currency was shown to my family members or staff who were present on that fateful night.

Explosive Allegations: Possible Crimes Under Investigation

The nature of the allegations against Justice Varma of Delhi High Court falls under serious legal scrutiny, with potential criminal and ethical violations under:

1. Destruction of Evidence (Section 204, IPC)

The alleged burning of large sums of money, if proven, could constitute tampering with evidence in an ongoing investigation.

2. Possession of Unexplained Wealth (Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988)

Justice Varma has been asked to explain the origin of the cash found in his residence, failing which it may be treated as illicit wealth.

3. Criminal Conspiracy (Section 120B, IPC)

Given the allegations of deliberate concealment and destruction, there is speculation of a wider network involved in facilitating or covering up financial misappropriation.

4. Judicial Misconduct & Breach of Public Trust

Under India’s In-House Procedure for Judicial Accountability, a sitting judge accused of financial misconduct and destruction of public confidence faces potential removal under Article 124(4) of the Constitution.

Legal & Political Fallout: Calls for Transparency & Judicial Reform

The case has sent shockwaves across legal and political circles, prompting:

• Senior legal experts to call for increased transparency in judicial appointments and oversight.
• Opposition leaders to demand a CAG audit of judges’ financial dealings to prevent abuse of office.
• Public outcry over the lack of real-time surveillance at residences of high-ranking judicial officials.

Prominent voices in the legal community have underscored the urgent need for reform, with many advocating for live asset disclosures by members of the higher judiciary.

What’s Next? The Road Ahead for Justice Yashwant Varma

Justice Yashwant Varma has been directed to submit a written explanation by March 22, 2025, failing which further action, including possible impeachment proceedings, may be initiated.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court-appointed committee will:

1. Scrutinize mobile records and bank transactions linked to Justice Varma.
2. Identify individuals involved in the destruction of cash.
3. Examine video and forensic evidence from the scene of the fire.
4. Assess whether additional judges or officials were complicit.

The fate of Justice Yashwant Varma and the credibility of India’s judicial system now hangs in the balance, as the nation awaits the findings of this high-profile inquiry.

Note: We used the old Indian Penal Code instead of BNS.