The Supreme Court of India has confirmed the discovery of burnt currency notes at the official residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. In a major development, the Supreme Court has made photos and videos of the burnt cash public, intensifying the ongoing investigation into the matter.
The Chief Justice of India has constituted a three member Committee consisting of Mr. Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana, Mr. Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, and Ms. Justice Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka, for conducting an inquiry into the allegations against Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting Judge of the High Court of Delhi.
The Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi for the time being has been asked not to assign any judicial work to Justice Yashwant Varma.
Fire at Justice Varma’s Residence Leads to Cash Discovery: Report By Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna
A fire incident at the residence of Justice Yashwant Varma has come under scrutiny, with Chief Justice of India, Hon’ble Justice Sanjiv Khanna, being apprised of the matter. The fire reportedly broke out in a store room near Justice Varma’s office at his allotted bungalow in Tughlaq Crescent, New Delhi, on the night of March 14, 2025, at approximately 11:30 PM.
As per reports, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora informed the Chief Justice about the fire on March 15, 2025, at around 4:50 PM, while the latter was in Lucknow for Holi vacations. Following the information, immediate steps were taken to ascertain the cause and extent of the incident.
Key Developments in the Investigation
A preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was reported via a PCR call made by Justice Varma’s Personal Secretary. However, the fire service was not separately informed, and the fire department was alerted automatically when the police control room was contacted. The affected store room, situated adjacent to a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) guard room, was reportedly used for storing household items and was usually kept locked.
Security personnel posted at Justice Varma’s residence confirmed that debris and partially burnt articles were removed from the site on the morning of March 15, 2025.
On-Site Examination and Justice Varma’s Response
Following the incident, a Registrar-cum-Secretary was directed to visit the site. Upon arrival, the official interacted with Justice Varma’s staff and inspected the affected room. Reports indicate that the room was dark, with visible cracks in the walls, and burnt materials scattered on the floor. Mobile phone torches were used to examine the interior, where soot-covered walls and hanging debris were observed.
Justice Varma, who was in Bhopal at the time of the fire, was informed of the incident by his daughter. During a subsequent meeting with the Chief Justice on March 17, 2025, Justice Varma expressed concerns regarding a possible conspiracy against him. He stated that the affected room was accessible to servants, gardeners, and CPWD personnel.
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Chief Justice Seeks Further Inquiry
After reviewing the available information, including police reports and photographic evidence, the Chief Justice noted that there were no indications of unauthorized access to the room by individuals outside the premises. However, considering the nature of the incident, he deemed it necessary for a deeper probe.
The Chief Justice also received a communication regarding a proposal to repatriate Justice Varma to the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. Supporting the decision, he stated that it was in the interest of better judicial administration.
As the inquiry unfolds, authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire to determine whether foul play was involved.
Registrar-cum-Secretary to Chief Justice
Under the directions of the Chief Justice, an official visit was conducted to the residence of the Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma at 30, Tughlaq Crescent, New Delhi, on 15.3.2025 at approximately 9:10 PM. Upon arrival, the Registrar-cum-Secretary to the Hon’ble Chief Justice was contacted and requested to come to the bungalow. The Registrar-cum-Secretary then escorted the visiting official to the Hon’ble Judge, who was present in his office.
Subsequently, the Judge, along with the visiting official, proceeded to inspect the room adjacent to the office, where the fire incident had occurred on 14.3.2025. According to information provided by the Registrar-cum-Secretary to the Hon’ble Chief Justice, this room had been utilized as a storeroom for miscellaneous household items and had remained accessible to all, as it was not kept locked.
Upon entering the room, it was observed that the interior was completely dark, and the walls had developed cracks. Mobile phone flashlights were used to illuminate the space, revealing that the walls were blackened due to fire damage. Additionally, some materials were found hanging from the roof, while partially burnt articles and debris were scattered across the floor.
After approximately 8–10 minutes of examination, all individuals present exited the room.
This report is accordingly submitted for the kind perusal of the Chief Justice.
Justice D.K. Upadhyaya Chief Justice High Court of Delhi
In a significant development, Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court, has been asked to provide a written explanation regarding the presence of money found in a room at his residence. The directive was issued through a communication from a senior judicial authority to Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya of the Delhi High Court.
The letter, reportedly signed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, seeks Justice Varma’s response on or before noon on March 22, 2025. It specifically questions how the cash came to be in his premises, the source of the money, and the identity of the person who removed burnt cash from the room on the morning of March 15, 2025.
In addition, the letter instructs authorities to gather details regarding the official staff of the High Court Registry, personal security officers, and security guards posted at Justice Varma’s residence over the past six months. A request is also to be made to mobile service providers for call record details of official and other mobile numbers linked to Justice Varma for the same period.
The communication further directs that Justice Varma be requested not to dispose of or alter any data on his mobile devices, including messages and conversations. His response, along with comments from Chief Justice Upadhyaya, is to be submitted for further action.
This development has raised concerns within judicial circles, as it is rare for a sitting High Court judge to face such scrutiny. The Delhi High Court has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
Justice Varma Denies Allegations; Supreme Court Releases His Response
The Supreme Court has published Justice Varma’s response, in which he categorically refutes the allegations against him.
Dismissing the claims, Justice Varma clarified that the room where the fire broke out was not part of his official residence but a separate storeroom, contrary to what was reported by TOI. He also firmly denied any cash being placed in the storeroom.
“I unequivocally state that neither I nor any of my family members ever stored cash in that storeroom. The claim that the alleged cash belonged to us is entirely unfounded. The idea that one would keep cash in an open and easily accessible storeroom near staff quarters or an outhouse is absurd. This room is completely detached from my living space, with a boundary wall marking the separation. It is regrettable that the media did not conduct due diligence before publishing defamatory claims,” Justice Varma stated.
He further explained that at the time of the fire, he and his wife were not at home, and only his daughter and elderly mother were present. The storeroom, he said, was commonly used for storing various items, including old furniture, bottles, crockery, mattresses, carpets, speakers, garden tools, and CPWD materials. It remained unlocked and was accessible from both the official front gate and the back entrance of the staff quarters.
Justice Varma also questioned the absence of the alleged cash on the morning of March 15. He pointed out that even when the Private Secretary to the Chief Justice visited the site that day, no cash was found.
Calling the allegations a conspiracy to frame him, Justice Varma referred to similar unfounded claims that had circulated against him on social media in December 2024.
“I reiterate that neither I nor any of my family members have ever stored cash or currency in that storeroom. All our financial transactions, including cash withdrawals, are documented and conducted through banking channels, UPI applications, and cards. As for the claim of cash recovery, no one from my household ever reported seeing any burnt currency in the room. Furthermore, when the site was returned to us after the fire personnel and police left, we found no evidence of cash or currency. Notably, the Chief of the Fire Service’s statement, as reported in the news, further supports this,” he added.
After reviewing the report submitted by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court along with Justice Varma’s response, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has constituted a three-member committee to conduct an in-house inquiry into the matter.
