Watch: Supreme Court probe report shows burnt cash at Delhi judge's home

The report states that four to five semi-burnt stacks of Indian currency were found at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence during a firefighting operation on the night of March 14

The Supreme Court has made public the 25-page inquiry report by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay regarding the controversy surrounding high court Justice Yashwant Varma. The report, published on Supreme Court's website on Saturday night, includes photos and videos allegedly showing burnt cash found at the judge’s residence.

 

Chief Justice Upadhyay stated that the matter required a deeper probe. Meanwhile, Justice Varma has denied all allegations, calling them a conspiracy to malign him. 

STORY | SC makes public report by Delhi HC CJ into cash at Justice Varma's house, forms probe panel  READ: https://t.co/UqscQCj21u  VIDEO:  (Source: Third Party/ PTI)  (Full video available on PTI Videos- https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/hZgDPTySQc

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 23, 2025

 

 

What is the controversy around Justice Varma?

 

The controversy emerged after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s official residence in Lutyens’ Delhi on March 14, during which fire department personnel reportedly discovered stacks of semi-burnt currency notes. However, Justice Varma has refuted these claims, stating that neither he nor his family members placed any cash in the storeroom where the fire occurred.

 

“The very idea that this cash belonged to us is preposterous,” he said in the report, adding that the outhouse where the alleged cash was found was separate from his main residence. Varma also said the allegations of cash discovery at his home clearly appeared to be a "conspiracy" to frame and malign him.

 

What does the report contain?

 

The report, dated March 21, says that four to five semi-burnt stacks of Indian currency were found at Justice Varma's residence during a firefighting operation on the night of Holi, March 14. 

 

"On examining the incident reported, the material available and the response of Justice Yashwant Varma, what I find is that the Commissioner of Police in his report dated Marg 16, 2025 has reported that as per the guard posted at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, the debris and other partially burnt articles were removed from the room where the fire had broken out in the morning of March 15, 2025," Justice Upadhyaya said in the report.

 

"The enquiry conducted by me, prima facie, does not reveal possibility of entry or access to the room by any person other than those residing in the bungalow, the servants, the gardeners and CPWD personnel, if any," he added.

 

Supreme Court forms probe committee

 

In response, the Supreme Court formed a three-member inquiry committee, including Justices Sheel Nagu, GS Sandhawalia, and Anu Sivaraman. The Delhi High Court Chief Justice was also directed not to assign judicial work to Justice Varma until the probe concludes.

 

The Supreme Court also confirmed that a proposal to transfer Justice Varma to the Allahabad High Court was under consideration.

 

Who is Justice Yashwant Varma?

 

According to the Delhi High Court website, Justice Varma began his legal career as an advocate on August 8, 1992. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court on October 13, 2014 and later took oath as a permanent judge on February 1, 2016. His tenure at the Delhi High Court started on October 11, 2021.

 

Currently, he presides over a division bench that handles cases related to sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax (GST), company appeals, and other original side appeals.

 

Under India’s judicial process, a judge can only be removed through an impeachment motion in Parliament. The Supreme Court’s in-house inquiry mechanism allows for an internal investigation, but the final decision rests with the apex court collegium.