Has Justice Varma Been Indicted? Eyewitnesses Confirm Cash Found!

New Delhi, May 30 (NationPress) A comprehensive inquiry report by a Supreme Court-formed three-judge panel has reportedly implicated Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, substantiating serious allegations of wrongdoing.

The findings of the panel, delivered to then Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, and subsequently forwarded to the President and Prime Minister earlier this month, advocate for the removal of the judge.

This inquiry was initiated following the discovery of a substantial amount of burnt cash at Justice Varma’s official residence in New Delhi after a fire incident on March 14, revealing disturbing details, according to sources.

The three-member panel, which includes Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice G. S. Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Sivaraman, meticulously scrutinized evidence and the testimonies of 55 witnesses over several weeks, sources disclosed.

In its report, finalized on May 3, the committee clearly stated that the cash was located in a storeroom at 30 Tughlak Crescent, the official residence assigned to Justice Varma, as per sources.

Reports indicate that the panel concluded that access to the storeroom was under the “covert or active control” of Justice Varma and his family, thereby establishing a direct connection between the judge and the cache of cash.

Furthermore, the report suggests that substantial inferential evidence indicates the burnt cash was removed from the storeroom in the early hours of March 15, just hours after the fire incident, as per sources.

The committee, weighing “direct and electronic evidence on record,” expressed a strong opinion that the allegations of misconduct raised in the letter from the then Chief Justice of India dated March 22, 2025, are “sufficiently substantiated” and severe enough to initiate removal proceedings against Justice Varma, sources revealed.

Throughout the inquiry, the panel examined a wide array of witnesses, including 11 officials from the Delhi Fire Services, various police personnel from lower ranks to senior officials, three personal security officers assigned to Justice Varma, CRPF static guards, and domestic as well as court staff.

Significantly, the judge’s daughter, who was present during the fire, along with Justice Varma himself, were extensively interrogated.

Notably, ten eyewitnesses confirmed the presence of cash in the storeroom, reinforcing the central allegation that Justice Varma’s residence contained a significant amount of currency under questionable circumstances, sources stated.

The report’s ramifications are severe: the existence of such unexplained cash in a judge’s official residence, paired with his inability to provide a satisfactory explanation for its origin, undermines his integrity, according to sources.

The panel’s recommendation to pursue removal proceedings highlights the gravity of the misconduct and sends a strong message that the highest standards of integrity must be maintained within the judiciary, analysts have commented.