Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court is at the center of a major controversy following the discovery of a large pile of unaccounted currency at his Delhi residence. A Supreme Court-appointed internal inquiry panel has found compelling evidence pointing toward the judge's questionable conduct after a fire in March this year revealed stacks of Rs 500 notes some of them charred inside his official government accommodation.
According to the panel's findings, multiple witnesses including police officers, firefighters, and even Justice Varma's daughter confirmed the presence of a significant quantity of cash strewn across a storeroom floor. Photographs and video footage captured during the fire emergency further validated these accounts. The panel deemed Justice Varma’s reaction—failing to report the matter to the police or to judicial authorities as highly unusual and suspicious.
Despite clear visual and testimonial evidence, Justice Varma claimed ignorance, stating that the situation was a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation. However, the committee firmly rejected this argument, calling it implausible and lacking credibility. They emphasized that the judge, having exclusive control over the room where the cash was discovered, offered no satisfactory explanation and did not initiate any legal or internal reporting, which further damaged his defense.
The panel, which interviewed 55 witnesses, highlighted the serious discrepancies in the accounts provided by the judge and his domestic staff. While staff denied seeing the currency, independent testimonies from fire service personnel and police officers said otherwise. One fire officer described being "shocked" at the sheer volume of notes, reportedly piled up to 1.5 feet high.
It also emerged that Justice Varma's private secretary allegedly tried to suppress evidence by instructing fire officials to leave out any mention of the currency in their reports. Moreover, higher authorities within the fire department reportedly advised their team not to pursue the case due to the involvement of a "higher-up," casting further doubt on the integrity of the response to the incident.
The committee report also raised questions about the potential involvement of Justice Varma’s daughter, Diya Varma, and his private secretary, Rajinder Singh Karki, in cleaning the scene and possibly destroying evidence. Despite the seriousness of the findings, Justice Varma has neither resigned nor opted for voluntary retirement and has not been assigned judicial duties since being transferred back to the Allahabad High Court. With mounting evidence and the inquiry panel's recommendation for his removal, the case against Justice Varma marks a significant moment in India’s judicial accountability landscape.
