Justice Varma Faces Impeachment Recommendation After Burnt Cash Found at Residence

New Delhi: The Supreme Court-appointed committee has recommended the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma following an inquiry into a fire incident at his official residence in Delhi, during which stacks of burnt currency were discovered. The committee’s report, accessed by India Today, concludes that the allegations of judicial misconduct are serious and substantiated enough to warrant removal proceedings.

The case dates back to March 14, when a fire broke out at Justice Varma’s official residence at 30-Tughlaq Crescent, Delhi. The judge was not present at the time. During firefighting and cleanup operations, multiple stacks of burnt and half-burnt currency notes—reportedly reaching up to 1.5 feet in height—were found in a storeroom.

The inquiry report states that Justice Varma failed to offer a credible explanation for the origin of the cash. The judge denied any wrongdoing, suggesting that the allegations were part of a larger conspiracy. However, the committee noted that the cash discovery was “undeniably established,” and said that the burden of explanation lay with the judge, which he did not fulfill.

Despite the severity of the findings, no First Information Report (FIR) was registered. The police cited the absence of the judge and a lack of clarity on whether a cognizable offence had occurred. The Supreme Court also declined to entertain petitions seeking an FIR in the matter and has left further action to the central government.

The committee, comprising members appointed by the Supreme Court, concluded that there is "sufficient substance" in the allegations and that the misconduct observed was grave enough to recommend impeachment.

The government is currently said to be examining the committee’s findings and weighing the option of introducing an impeachment motion in Parliament.

According to the report, 17 individuals, including Justice Varma’s daughter, were present at the residence on the night of the fire. The storeroom where the cash was found was under the “active and covert control” of Justice Varma and his family. The panel rejected the judge’s claim of a conspiracy, concluding that no outsider could have accessed the storeroom, which was reportedly kept locked and accessible only by the family.

The report also noted attempts by the judge’s staff to remove the burnt cash after the fire. A police official quoted in the inquiry said that burnt currency was found from the door to the far end of the storeroom, both on the floor and on ledges.

Although Justice Varma was subsequently transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court, he has not been assigned judicial work since the incident. The final decision on initiating impeachment proceedings now lies with the central government and Parliament.