A three-member inquiry committee constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has found former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma guilty in connection with the recovery of unexplained cash from his official residence, according to the report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The committee said “substantial unexplained ₹500 denomination currency notes” were found in a storeroom at Varma’s official residence at 30, Tughlaq Crescent, New Delhi. It said the judge failed to provide a satisfactory explanation about the presence, source or ownership of the cash.
The report also flagged concerns over the handling of the storeroom after the incident, saying its evidentiary condition had been disturbed before it was lawfully sealed and inspected. The subsequent disappearance or non-availability of the currency notes remained unexplained, it said.
Fire at official residence triggered probe
The controversy began after a fire broke out at Varma’s official residence on the night of March 14, 2025. Firefighters responding to the blaze allegedly found a large quantity of burnt currency in a storeroom on the premises.
Varma, who was serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court at the time, denied wrongdoing. Following the controversy, he was repatriated to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court.
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The three-member inquiry panel was constituted under the Judges (Inquiry) Act to examine the allegations. It was headed by Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar and included then Bombay High Court Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and senior advocate BV Acharya.
The committee submitted its findings to Speaker Om Birla in May.
Removal proceedings now largely infructuous
Varma subsequently resigned as a judge, although his resignation has not yet been notified by the Union law ministry.
More than 200 MPs had earlier signed a motion seeking his removal, triggering the parliamentary process. With Varma having resigned, the removal proceedings against him have effectively become infructuous.
However, the committee’s findings place its conclusions on record before Parliament. The report’s tabling comes a day before the scheduled conclusion of the Monsoon Session.
The panel’s findings relate specifically to the unexplained cash recovered from the premises and the circumstances surrounding its subsequent non-availability.
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