New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Saturday night released a report, along with three images and a video, regarding the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. The disclosure follows an internal investigation initiated by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. Additionally, Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya was directed not to assign judicial work to Justice Varma amid the controversy.
#WATCH | The Supreme Court released the inquiry report filed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya into the controversy relating to High Court Justice Yashwant Varma. In his report, the Delhi High Court Chief Justice said that he is of the prima facie opinion… pic.twitter.com/1xgMh8xWNW
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2025
The report, made available on the Supreme Court’s website, includes visuals purportedly showing semi-burnt currency allegedly found in the storeroom of Justice Varma’s official residence during a firefighting operation on March 14, the night of Holi. The materials were shared with Justice Upadhyaya by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora.
Justice Varma Denies Links To Cash
Justice Varma, however, has vehemently denied any connection to the cash. “I was shocked to see the video as it depicted something that was not present at the site when I last saw it. This appears to be a deliberate conspiracy to malign me,” Justice Varma stated, questioning the authenticity of the evidence presented.
In a detailed response to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice, Justice Varma explained that the fire broke out in a storeroom located near the staff quarters of his government-allotted residence, reported NDTV. According to him, the space was a common storage area for household items, including old furniture, crockery, and garden tools, and was neither locked nor directly connected to his main residence.
On the night of the fire, Justice Varma and his wife were in Madhya Pradesh, while only his daughter and elderly mother were at home. He returned to Delhi the following day via an IndiGo flight from Bhopal. His daughter and private secretary alerted the fire department when the blaze erupted. He noted that during firefighting efforts, all family members and staff were kept at a safe distance and did not witness any cash at the scene.
All Financial Transactions Take Place Through Proper Banking Channels: Justice Varma
He categorically denied that he or his family had ever stored cash in the storeroom, stating that all their financial transactions occur through proper banking channels, including UPI and card payments.
Justice Varma also highlighted the absence of any formal seizure of the alleged cash by authorities. “There was no mention of cash being recovered or seized at the time the site was handed back to us,” he stated, adding that none of his household members saw any burnt currency.
He further questioned the absence of sacks allegedly containing burnt cash. “We were not shown any such sacks or remnants of currency. My staff confirmed that only debris and salvageable items were cleared from the room. If such an amount of cash was truly recovered, why was it never presented to us at the time?”
Justice Varma reiterated that the storeroom was a shared space and completely separate from his living quarters, dismissing the allegations as baseless and illogical.
