Cash found at judge's house after fire: Who is Justice Yashwant Varma?

Supreme Court Collegium has ordered the immediate transfer of Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma after discovering hoards of cash at his residence

The Supreme Court Collegium has ordered the immediate transfer of Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma to his parent court in Allahabad, following the discovery of a large amount of cash at his residence during a fire incident.

 

The decision was made on Thursday evening after the five-member Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, reviewed reports and video footage allegedly showing burning cash at Justice Varma’s New Delhi residence.

 

Who is Justice Yashwant Varma?

Born on January 6, 1969, Justice Varma hails from Allahabad. He completed his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) at Hansraj College, Delhi University before obtaining his LLB from Rewa University, Madhya Pradesh, his judge profile states.

 

 

Varma enrolled as an advocate in 1992 and practised extensively in the Allahabad High Court, handling cases related to constitutional law, taxation, corporate law, and industrial disputes. Over the years, he held several key positions, including:

- Special Counsel for Allahabad High Court (2006–2014)

- Chief Standing Counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh (2012–2013)

- Designated Senior Advocate in 2013

 

In October 2014, he was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court, later becoming a Permanent Judge in February 2016. He was transferred to Delhi High Court in October 2021.

 

Fire at judge’s residence reveals cash hoard

The fire broke out at Justice Varma’s bungalow in Delhi on March 14 at around 11.30 pm, while he was away. His family called the fire brigade and local police. 

 

However, as emergency responders entered the house, they allegedly discovered a significant amount of cash inside a room. The exact sum remains undisclosed and some media reports suggest some of the cash was burning during the incident.

 

Delhi Police officials reported the matter to their superiors, who escalated it to the highest levels of government. Soon after, CJI Khanna was informed, prompting him to convene an urgent Collegium meeting to discuss the issue.

 

Justice Varma to be immediately transferred

During the meeting, all five judges unanimously agreed that Justice Varma should be moved from Delhi High Court. The Collegium decided to transfer him back to the Allahabad High Court, where he had previously served before being posted to Delhi.

 

No formal investigation has been announced yet and it remains unclear if any will.  The Supreme Court’s 1999 in-house procedure allows the CJI to seek a judge’s explanation and, if necessary, appoint a panel of senior judges to conduct an internal inquiry.