NEW DELHI: On March 14, a fire broke out at the official residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. The blaze, which occurred around 11:30 PM, was confined to a storeroom near the office in his government-allocated bungalow at 30, Tughlak Crescent, New Delhi. Firefighters promptly responded and extinguished the fire within 15 minutes. However, during their operations, they reportedly found large amounts of burnt currency notes inside the premises.
According to a report submitted by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, the police and fire department discovered four to five sacks filled with partially burnt currency notes in the room. The information was promptly relayed to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on March 15, 2025.
Further investigation revealed that:
- The PCR call reporting the fire was made by Justice Varma’s Private Secretary from a mobile number registered under the Delhi High Court.
- The storeroom where the fire occurred was adjacent to a guardroom occupied by the Central Reserve Police Force (Battalion 70F).
- As per the security guard posted at the residence, some debris and half-burnt articles, including burnt currency, were removed on the morning of March 15, before the investigation could begin.
Supreme Court’s Actions
In response to the controversy, the Supreme Court of India took swift action:
- On March 22, 2025, a three-member inquiry committee was set up, led by Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court), Justice G.S. Sandhawalia (Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court), and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge of Karnataka High Court).
- The Delhi High Court Chief Justice was advised not to assign any judicial work to Justice Varma until the investigation concludes.
- The Supreme Court also decided to repatriate Justice Yashwant Varma to his parent High Court in Allahabad.
Justice Yashwant Varma’s Response
Justice Yashwant Varma strongly denied any knowledge of the cash found at his residence. In his written response to the inquiry panel, he stated:
- The room where the fire occurred was a common storeroom used for discarded household items and was accessible to servants, gardeners, and even CPWD personnel.
- He was in Bhopal at the time of the incident and was informed about the fire by his daughter.
- He never stored cash in the room, and neither he nor his family members had any knowledge of the burnt currency.
- He suspects a conspiracy against him, emphasizing that no cash was found when he personally inspected the gutted room with the police and court officials.
- He questioned the authenticity of the video footage showing the burnt cash sacks, arguing that none of his staff or family members saw any such cash at the site.
Supreme Court Releases Video Evidence
To ensure transparency, the Supreme Court released video footage and photographs showing the burnt currency found at Justice Varma’s residence. The footage, shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner, raised serious concerns about the presence of large sums of cash at a sitting judge’s official residence.
Ongoing Investigation
The inquiry committee has been tasked with:
- Establishing the source of the burnt cash.
- Identifying who removed the burnt money from the storeroom on March 15.
- Investigating phone call records and security details of Justice Varma’s residence over the last six months.
Additionally, Justice Varma has been instructed not to dispose of his mobile phone or delete any data, as forensic analysis will be conducted on his call records and messages.
The judiciary now awaits the findings of the inquiry committee, which will determine the next course of action. This high-profile case has raised critical questions about judicial integrity and accountability, marking one of the most controversial incidents in the Indian judiciary in recent years.