3 weeks ago
Parliament tables inquiry report on Justice Yashwant Varma
Justice Yashwant Varma used to be a judge in India's big courts.
One night in March 2025, a fire broke out at his official home in Delhi.
Firefighters came to put out the fire and said they found burnt money in a storeroom.
People did not know where the money came from, so a group of three people was asked to investigate.
They made a two-volume report and gave it to the Lok Sabha Speaker, an important person in India's Parliament.
Another committee earlier said the judge had control over the storeroom where the money was found.
More than 200 members of Parliament signed a request to remove him from his job.
Before that could happen, the judge resigned.
On Wednesday, the report was officially given to lawmakers in the Rajya Sabha, with the Lok Sabha also set to receive it.
Now the government will decide what to do next.
The inquiry committee's two-volume report on allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, and the Lok Sabha is also scheduled to receive it.
The investigation concerns the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash, including burnt currency reportedly found by firefighters, at Justice Varma's official residence in Delhi after a fire on the night of March 14, 2025.
Secretary General P C Mody tabled the English and Hindi volumes along with oral and documentary evidence; the three-member panel, constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on August 12, 2025, had submitted its findings in May.
An in-house committee constituted by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna concluded Justice Varma had 'active or tacit control' over the storeroom where the cash was hidden, and over 200 MPs signed an impeachment motion in July 2025.
Justice Varma, a former Delhi High Court judge repatriated to the Allahabad High Court, has resigned, rendering the removal proceedings virtually infructuous; his resignation has not yet been notified by the law ministry.
- Who
- Justice Yashwant Varma, a former Delhi High Court judge repatriated to the Allahabad High Court; the three-member inquiry committee; Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody
- What
- The inquiry committee's two-volume report on allegations of unaccounted cash found at Justice Varma's official residence was tabled in the Rajya Sabha, with the Lok Sabha also set to receive it
- Where
- Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha in New Delhi; Justice Varma's former official residence in Delhi
- When
- Wednesday; the fire occurred on the night of March 14, 2025; the committee was constituted on August 12, 2025; findings were submitted in May; the impeachment motion was signed in July 2025
- Why
- To investigate the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at the judge's official residence following a fire; an in-house committee had concluded he exercised 'active or tacit control' over the storeroom where the cash was found
Key facts
- Judge
- Justice Yashwant Varma
- Courts
- Allahabad High Court (parent court); formerly Delhi High Court
- Incident
- Fire at official Delhi residence on the night of March 14, 2025
- Allegation
- Burnt currency allegedly found in a storeroom during firefighting
- Inquiry committee
- Three-member panel constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on August 12, 2025
- Report
- Two volumes (English and Hindi); findings submitted in May; tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday; Lower House scheduled to receive it
- Impeachment motion
- Signed by over 200 MPs in July 2025
- Current status
- Judge resigned; removal proceedings virtually infructuous; resignation pending notification by the law ministry
Quotes
in‑house committee constituted by then CJI Sanjiv Khanna
Committee of judges headed by former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna
“"active or tacit control"”
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