'I Wasn't Present At The Time Of Fire, No Cash Was Recovered': Justice Varma To Parliament Panel

Justice Yashwant Varma has told a Parliamentary panel that he was not present at his house when the fire took place and claimed that no cash was recovered.

In his response before the panel, Justice Varma

stated that he was not the first responder and had no role in cash recovery. He also said that the first responders failed to secure the scene of crime.

On March 14, 2025, burnt wads of currency notes were found at his official residence. After the cash recovery, Justice Varma was repatriated from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court.

Later, then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had initiated an in-house inquiry and constituted a three-member committee, which found Justice Varma guilty of misconduct.

After Justice Varma declined to resign, the CJI forwarded the report and the judge’s response to the President and the Prime Minister, setting the stage for impeachment proceedings.

Subsequently, Birla admitted a multi-party motion for Justice Varma’s removal on August 12 and constituted a three-member inquiry committee.

Justice Varma then moved the Supreme Court, challenging the constitution of the inquiry committee and issued notices to the office of Lok Sabha Speaker and the secretaries general of both Houses of Parliament.

Justice Varma has sought quashing of the Speaker’s action, the admission of the motion, and all consequential notices issued by the inquiry committee, contending that the entire process is unconstitutional and contrary to the Judges (Inquiry) Act.