New Delhi, August 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A three-member inquiry committee constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has found all three charges against former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma proved in connection with the discovery of unexplained cash at his official residence in New Delhi.
The findings were contained in the committee’s report, which was tabled in both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday.
The inquiry, conducted under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, examined the circumstances surrounding the discovery of large quantities of burnt ₹500 currency notes in a storeroom at Justice Varma’s official residence at 30, Tughlaq Crescent. The cash was found after a fire at the premises during the intervening night of March 14 and 15, 2025, when he was serving on the Delhi High Court.
The panel concluded that Justice Varma failed to satisfactorily explain the presence, ownership or source of the money. It also examined allegations concerning the disturbance and handling of evidence at the site and found those charges established.
According to the report, material evidence at the residence was not adequately secured or preserved after the fire. The condition of the storeroom was also disturbed before it could be lawfully sealed and inspected, which the committee considered significant in assessing the case.
The committee rejected Justice Varma’s explanations, observing that they did not meet the standards of candour, transparency and institutional responsibility expected of a judge of a constitutional court. It described his responses as evasive and unsatisfactory when assessed against statements from independent official witnesses and other corroborative material.
Justice Varma had suggested, among other possibilities, that the cash could have been planted or that a conspiracy involving other persons might have been responsible. The panel, however, noted that no evidence was produced to support these theories.
The committee also examined Justice Varma’s interaction with members of his staff at around 2 a.m. after the fire. It said he had not adequately disclosed the substance of the interaction or whether any instructions were issued. The relevant staff members were not produced as defence witnesses to explain the communication.
The absence of an FIR or formal complaint alleging that the cash had been planted or that evidence had been tampered with was also considered by the panel while assessing Justice Varma’s defence.
The latest findings follow an earlier in-house inquiry ordered by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. That inquiry had concluded that Justice Varma exercised “active or tacit control” over the storeroom where the cash was discovered.
Justice Varma was later repatriated to the Allahabad High Court amid the controversy. In July 2025, more than 200 MPs signed a motion seeking his removal. The following month, Speaker Birla constituted the three-member inquiry committee.
The committee submitted its report to the Speaker in May. It has now been formally placed before Parliament in two volumes containing oral and documentary evidence gathered during the inquiry.
Justice Varma has since resigned, rendering the parliamentary removal proceedings effectively infructuous. His resignation, however, has reportedly not yet been formally notified by the Union Law Ministry.
The committee’s report nevertheless assumes significance as the statutory inquiry has formally recorded its conclusion that all three charges were proved, including those relating to the unexplained cash, handling of evidence at the residence and Justice Varma’s explanations.
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