‘No evidence of forced entry’: Delhi HC Chief Justice’s findings on Justice Yashwant Varma cash row

The Supreme Court on Saturday released an inquiry report by Delhi high court chief justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay regarding Justice Yashwant Varma's case, which involved the discovery of

burnt currency notes

by firefighters at his official residence.
A video shared by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora with Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Delhi high court chief justice Upadhyay purportedly shows the burnt cash, adding to the scrutiny.

According to the report, on March 15, workers cleared some debris and partially burnt items from the storeroom. Subsequently, the Supreme Court instructed Justice Varma to maintain all phone data and communications. Additionally, the court requested records of security staff deployed at his residence over the previous six months. Justice Varma has been temporarily removed from his judicial responsibilities whilst the investigation continues.

Key findings from the inquiry report

Justice Varma denies allegations, calls it a conspiracy

Justice Varma has strongly denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations an attempt to malign him. In his response to the inquiry panel, he stated that neither he nor his family had any connection to the cash allegedly found at the site.
“My wife and I were not in Delhi at the time of the fire. The storeroom is a common area used by staff and is not part of my main residence. The claim that we kept cash there is absurd,” he said.
Justice Varma also questioned the evidence, stating that when he inspected the storeroom after the fire, no cash was present. “Later, a video was shown to me suggesting otherwise. This raises serious concerns about evidence tampering,” he added.
He further pointed to previous online allegations against him in December 2024, hinting at a possible effort to damage his reputation.

SC sets up three-member inquiry panel

The Supreme Court has set up a

three-member inquiry panel

to investigate the case. The committee includes Punjab & Haryana high court, chief justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh high court chief justice G S Sandhawalia, and Karnataka high court judge Anu Sivaraman.
With the inquiry now underway, the Supreme Court will review Justice Varma’s response along with forensic findings related to the alleged cash recovery. The panel will determine whether there is any direct link between the cash and the judge or his family.
The court’s directive to preserve Justice Varma’s mobile data suggests that phone records and messages could play a role in the investigation. The case has sparked debate in legal and political circles, with concerns about both judicial integrity and possible attempts to frame the judge.
The committee is expected to submit its findings to the Supreme Court in the coming weeks.