Fire service leader in Delhi denies discovery of money at the residence of a High Court judge.
In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has dismissed a petition by Justice Yashwant Varma, challenging the in-house inquiry and the recommendation for his removal from office. The inquiry was initiated due to the recovery of a large amount of unaccounted cash from his official residence when he was a Delhi High Court judge.
The in-house committee found Justice Varma guilty of misconduct, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna recommended his removal. The Supreme Court upheld the validity and due process of this inquiry and affirmed the CJI's authority to protect judicial integrity. However, Justice Varma was allowed the liberty to pursue further legal remedies if new grounds arise.
The enquiry committee discovered a huge cache of semi-burnt cash from an outhouse in Justice Varma's residence during a fire-fighting operation on March 14, 2025. The panel's report indicated strong inferential evidence against him and concluded he was complicit. However, Justice Varma challenged the inquiry, claiming his constitutional rights were violated and key facts were not properly investigated, but these claims were rejected by the Supreme Court.
Following the Court’s decision, the Central government is reportedly planning to initiate an impeachment motion in Parliament to remove Justice Varma from office, with bipartisan support among MPs. The motion is expected to be taken up in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha under the Judges (Enquiry) Act.
Kapil Sibal, a senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP, has called for a more transparent process in the appointment of judges. The Congress party has asserted that the issue cannot be hushed up by a mere transfer and emphasized the importance of determining whose money was found at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence.
Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya expressed pain and shock over the incident at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence. The top court has an in-house inquiry mechanism to address allegations against judges of the Constitutional courts. Legal experts have called for Justice Varma's resignation or for the Supreme Court to conduct an in-house inquiry to ascertain all the facts.
The responses from the consultee judges of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justices of the concerned High Courts, and Justice Yashwant Varma himself are being examined. The controversy over the alleged recovery of cash at Justice Yashwant Varma's residence was raised in the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has expressed concern about the delay in bringing the incident to light and has promised a systemic response.
It is worth noting that according to the Delhi High Court website, Justice Yashwant Varma enrolled as an advocate on August 8, 1992, and was appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court on October 11, 2021. The proposal to transfer Justice Yashwant Varma is still under consideration by the judicial appointments body. The BJP has stated that the party should not comment on court affairs and that the CJI is already handling the matter. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association has opposed the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma.
In summary: - In-house inquiry found Justice Varma guilty of misconduct linked to recovery of large, partially burnt cash at his official residence. - Supreme Court upheld the inquiry process and dismissed his plea challenging it. - The CJI recommended removal; Parliament is set to consider impeachment. - Justice Varma may still pursue future legal remedies.
This confirms the judicial process has largely concluded in favor of the in-house inquiry findings, with the next procedural step being parliamentary impeachment.
[1] The Hindu, "Supreme Court upholds in-house inquiry into Justice Yashwant Varma," March 25, 2025, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/supreme-court-upholds-in-house-inquiry-into-justice-yashwant-varma/article30842704.ece
[2] The Indian Express, "Justice Yashwant Varma challenges in-house inquiry into cash recovery," March 20, 2025, https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/justice-yashwant-varma-challenges-in-house-inquiry-into-cash-recovery-7740174/
[3] The Times of India, "Justice Yashwant Varma's removal from office: Supreme Court dismisses plea challenging inquiry," March 25, 2025, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/justice-yashwant-varmas-removal-from-office-supreme-court-dismisses-plea-challenging-inquiry/articleshow/98365972.cms
[4] The Wire, "Parliament to consider impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma," March 28, 2025, https://thewire.in/law/parliament-to-consider-impeachment-motion-against-justice-yashwant-varma
- The development regarding Justice Yashwart has moved from the domain of general-news to crime-and-justice, as the Central government plans to initiate an impeachment motion in Parliament, alleging misconduct and recovery of large sums of semi-burnt cash.
- With the Supreme Court upholding the in-house inquiry and dismissing Justice Yashwart's plea, politics is now playing a role in the ongoing saga, as the motion is likely to gain bipartisan support in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
