An inquiry committee set up by the Chief Justice of India looked into a fire at the official residence of High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma. The committee found that cash was discovered in a storeroom that was badly damaged by the fire. They also criticized the police and fire officials for being careless because they didn’t file an FIR (First Information Report) or prepare a detailed record of what was found at the scene during the fire on March 14-15.
The committee said senior police officers tried to justify their inaction by saying the matter was “sensitive” and because Justice Varma was not home when the fire happened, he and his wife were on vacation in Bhopal that night. The report, prepared by three judges and dated May 3, was made public by the legal website ‘The Leaflet’ on June 19, 2025. Before retiring on May 13, Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna had sent the confidential report to the President and Prime Minister, especially after Justice Varma refused to resign voluntarily.
A motion to remove Justice Varma from office is expected to be introduced in Parliament during the upcoming Monsoon Session in July. The committee, made up of Justices Sheel Nagu, GS Sandhawalia, and Anu Sivaraman, concluded that Justice Varma and his family had “covert or active control” over the storeroom where the half-burnt cash was found.
The storeroom was usually used to store unused household items and liquor cabinets. Because it was under the physical control of Justice Varma and his family, any suspicious items found there must be explained by them, the report said.
The money found was “highly suspicious” and of significant value. The committee said it was impossible for the cash to be placed there without at least the silent approval of Justice Varma or his family. The inquiry committee did not accept Justice Varma’s claim that he was a victim of a conspiracy. It said it would be almost impossible to plant money in a high-security home of a sitting judge.
The report questioned why Justice Varma didn’t complain or resist his transfer from Delhi to Allahabad if he truly believed he was being targeted. It also noted strong evidence suggesting that Justice Varma’s trusted staff removed the burnt cash from the storeroom early on March 15.
The committee said Justice Varma’s actions amounted to serious misconduct and recommended starting removal proceedings. They said that, without any reasonable explanation from him or his family, the committee had no choice but to conclude that he betrayed the public’s trust by allowing large amounts of suspicious cash to be kept in the storeroom. Whether he directly approved it or not, the breach of trust was serious enough to call for his removal.
