1 week Ago By TOI News Desk
NEW DELHI: In a rare public disclosure, the Supreme Court on late Saturday night uploaded reports, photos, and videos related to allegations of unaccounted cash discovered at the official residence of Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court. The materials, now available on the court’s website, reveal the findings of an internal investigation and Justice Varma’s detailed response denying the allegations. The controversy erupted after a fire at Justice Varma’s official residence on March 14 led to the discovery of large quantities of cash.
The Supreme Court’s decision to make these documents public signals the seriousness of the allegations and the judiciary’s commitment to transparency. Fire incident leads to discovery of cash According to the report by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Manmohan Upadhyay, the fire broke out in a storeroom of Justice Varma’s residence at approximately 11:30 PM on March 14. The fire was reported by Justice Varma’s personal secretary after being informed by household staff, reported Live Law.
The next day, Chief Justice Upadhyay, along with the High Court’s Registrar, visited the bungalow and personally inspected the scene. The report mentions that the storeroom was located separately from the main living quarters and had limited access to Justice Varma’s servants, gardeners, and occasionally CPWD staff. The Delhi Police Commissioner shared with Chief Justice Upadhyay images and videos from the scene, which showed sacks of cash—some of it burnt.
The Supreme Court has now released these materials publicly, offering an unprecedented look into the case. Justice Varma raises conspiracy concerns When shown the photographs of the cash, Justice Varma expressed concerns about a potential conspiracy against him. In his formal response to the Chief Justice of India, he categorically denied any connection to the cash or knowledge of how it arrived in the storeroom.
“I unequivocally state that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom by me or any of my family members. The suggestion that this cash belonged to us is preposterous. The storeroom is an open, commonly used area near staff quarters, disconnected from my living spaces,” Justice Varma stated.
He also criticized the media for what he described as premature and defamatory reporting. “I only wish that the media had conducted some enquiry before I came to be indicted and defamed in the press,” his response added. Supreme Court demands answers Following the initial inquiry, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna instructed Chief Justice Upadhyay to seek further clarification from Justice Varma on three critical points: The source of the unaccounted cash.
Identification of the person who removed the burnt cash on the morning of March 15. Preservation of all mobile data, including call logs and messages. Justice Varma has been explicitly asked not to delete any data from his phone.
Three-judge inquiry panel formed In light of the findings, the Supreme Court has formed a three-member committee to conduct an in-depth in-house inquiry. The panel members are Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice, Punjab & Haryana High Court), Justice GS Sandhawalia (Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court) and Justice Anu Sivaraman (Judge, Karnataka High Court). Additionally, Justice Varma has been temporarily relieved from judicial duties.
The Delhi High Court Chief Justice has been instructed not to assign him any further cases pending the outcome of the inquiry..
