After a mysterious fire at Justice Yashwant Varma’s home led to the discovery of large amounts of cash, a high-level judicial probe was launched. The Chief Justice has now escalated the matter to the highest constitutional authorities, with calls for resignation or impeachment reportedly made.
BY PC bureau
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna has forwarded the report of the in-house inquiry committee investigating Justice Yashwant Varma to the President and Prime Minister of India, along with Justice Varma’s written response.
In a statement issued today, the Supreme Court said:
“The Chief Justice of India, in terms of the In-House Procedure, has written to Hon’ble the President of India and Hon’ble the Prime Minister of India enclosing therewith copy of the 3-Member Committee report dated 03.05.2025 along with the letter/response dated 06.05.2025 received from Mr. Justice Yashwant Varma.”
As previously reported by Bar & Bench, the in-house committee—comprising Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Judge Anu Sivaraman—had indicted Justice Varma following allegations of unaccounted cash discovered at his residence.
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The committee began its probe on March 25 and submitted its report to CJI Khanna on May 4. Justice Varma was reportedly asked to resign or face possible impeachment.
The controversy erupted after a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence on March 14. While he and his wife were away in Madhya Pradesh, firefighters responding to the blaze allegedly discovered bundles of burning cash inside the house. A video of the incident, later made public, intensified suspicions of corruption. Justice Varma denied any wrongdoing, claiming he was the target of a conspiracy.
Following the incident, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court submitted a preliminary report to the Supreme Court. The top court took the unprecedented step of releasing both the report and Justice Varma’s initial response to the public.
The Supreme Court then instituted a formal in-house inquiry and, in the interim, transferred Justice Varma back to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court. However, on the directions of the CJI, he has been divested of all judicial responsibilities for the time being. His return sparked protests from the Allahabad High Court Bar Association, which went on strike against the decision.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea seeking the registration of an FIR against Justice Varma, citing the ongoing in-house proceedings.
As the inquiry unfolded, Justice Varma reportedly sought legal counsel from several senior lawyers, including Senior Advocates Siddharth Agarwal and Arundhati Katju, and Advocates Tara Narula and Stuti Gujral, among others, who visited his residence.
The situation continues to draw national attention, raising questions about judicial accountability, transparency, and institutional response in the face of serious allegations.
