Today, On 8th May, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna has sent the 3-member inquiry committee’s report on Justice Yashwant Varma to the President and Prime Minister, along with Justice Varma’s detailed response dated 6th May 2025.
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna submitted the report from the in-house committee investigating the allegations of cash found at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence to the President of India and the Prime Minister.
Justice Varma’s response to the report has also been included in this submission.
In a statement issued today, the Supreme Court noted,
“Chief Justice of India, in terms of the In-House Procedure, has written to Hon’ble the President of India and Hon’ble the Prime Minister of India enclosing therewith copy of the 3-Member Committee report dated 03.05.2025 along with the letter/response dated 06.05.2025 received from Mr Justice Yashwant Varma.”
It was previously reported that the in-house committee, consisting of two Chief Justices and one High Court judge, has found Justice Varma to be at fault.
Additionally, it was stated that the Chief Justice of India had urged Justice Varma to resign or face impeachment proceedings.
The committee conducting the investigation included Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal High Court Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Sivaraman.
The panel initiated its inquiry on March 25 and submitted its report to CJI Khanna on May 4.
On the evening of March 14th, a fire erupted at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence. While Justice Varma and his wife were traveling in Madhya Pradesh, his daughter and elderly mother were present when the fire broke out. Firefighters responding to the scene reportedly discovered a substantial amount of unaccounted cash.
A video subsequently emerged depicting bundles of currency engulfed in flames, sparking allegations of corruption against Justice Varma. He refuted these accusations, suggesting a conspiracy to discredit him.
In response, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) launched an internal investigation, forming a three-member committee on March 22nd to conduct an inquiry.
The Delhi Police Commissioner shared the video of the burnt cash with the Chief Justice of the High Court. The Supreme Court later released the video to the public. In an unusual move, the Supreme Court also published a report from the Delhi High Court Chief Justice concerning the incident, along with Justice Varma’s reply.
The Supreme Court Collegium’s decision to transfer Justice Varma amid this controversy faced significant opposition from lawyers’ associations in Uttar Pradesh. However, the Central government approved the transfer on March 28.
The Central Government announced the transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court back to his original position at the Allahabad High Court.
This decision followed a recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium made on March 24.
Additionally, The Supreme Court of India directed the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court not to assign any judicial responsibilities to Justice Yashwant Varma.
A fire broke out at Justice Varma’s home on the evening of March 14, during which unaccounted cash was inadvertently found by firefighters.
A video depicting the recovery of the burnt cash was reportedly shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
At the time of the incident, Justice Varma and his wife were traveling in Madhya Pradesh, leaving only their daughter and elderly mother at home. On March 21, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) initiated an internal investigation into the allegations, appointing a three-member committee to carry out the inquiry.
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