The Controversy Surrounding Justice Varma
Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma has strongly denied allegations that burnt currency was found at his residence following a fire on the night of March 14-15. In response to claims that wads of cash were discovered and removed, Justice Varma asserted that neither his staff nor his family members saw any such evidence. Calling the allegations a conspiracy to tarnish his reputation, he provided a detailed rebuttal to Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya, dismissing the accusations as baseless and defamatory.
No Evidence of Cash Discovery
Justice Varma clarified that the fire broke out in an outhouse used for storing discarded household items, not in his main residence. In his written response dated March 22, he categorically denied that he or his family had stored cash in the storeroom. He questioned the plausibility of keeping large amounts of money in an accessible storage space near staff quarters, calling the claim “preposterous.”
“When the fire broke out around midnight, the fire service was alerted by my daughter and private secretary. During the firefighting efforts, all household members and staff were asked to move away for safety. After the fire was doused, when they returned to the site, they saw no cash or currency,” Justice Varma stated.
Criticism of Media Reports
The judge condemned the media for publishing reports without proper verification. He refuted claims that cash was seized from the fire site, emphasizing that neither he nor his staff were shown any recovered money.
“That takes me to the video clip which has been shared with me. Assuming without admitting that the video was taken immediately at the time of the incident at the site, none of it appears to have been recovered or seized. None of the staff was shown any remnants of cash or currency,” he asserted.
Denial of Currency Removal Allegations
A security guard reportedly informed authorities that debris and partially burnt items were removed from the room on the morning of March 15. However, Justice Varma strongly rejected any insinuations that his family or staff were involved in removing cash.
“I also strongly deny and outrightly reject the insinuation, if made, that we removed currency from the storeroom. We were neither shown nor handed over any sacks of burnt currency. The limited debris that was salvaged continues to exist in one part of the residence,” he clarified.
He further revealed that he and his wife were not even in Delhi at the time of the fire. “I along with my wife returned from Bhopal on Indigo Flight No. 6E 2303 only on the evening of March 15, 2025. Therefore, the question of its alleged removal is not known to us. In any event, none of my staff removed any article, currency, or cash in any form,” he asserted.
Political and Legal Ramifications
The fire incident has caused ripples in legal and political circles. Reports suggested that fire tenders had discovered cash, leading the Supreme Court Collegium to recommend Justice Varma’s repatriation to the Allahabad High Court. The Chief Justice of India also initiated an in-house probe, prompting the Delhi HC Chief Justice to seek Justice Varma’s response.
Justice Varma expressed shock over a video shared by the Commissioner of Police, stating that what was depicted did not match what he had seen at the site. He referred to a March 16 report submitted by the Registrar-cum-Secretary to the Delhi HC Chief Justice, who was among the first officials to visit the site and made no mention of cash recovery.
“You had requested for the PPS to visit the site, and I readily agreed. The PPS arrived later that night, and when I, my PS, along with the PPS, inspected the gutted room, no currency was found nor seen on site. This also stands corroborated by the report of PPS. Post that inspection, the gutted room remains in that state even today,” he explained.
Raising Doubts Over Allegations
Justice Varma raised doubts about the authenticity of the allegations, questioning why no sacks of burnt currency were ever officially recovered or seized.
“We categorically assert that neither my daughter, PS, nor household staff were shown these so-called sacks of burnt currency. I stand by my consistent position that when they accessed the storeroom, there was no currency, burnt or otherwise, visible,” he stated.
Justice Varma also referenced past events targeting him, including a 2018 FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and social media allegations in December 2024, reinforcing his belief that the controversy was part of a larger conspiracy against him.
“This clearly appears to be a conspiracy to frame and malign me. It also lends credence to my belief that the entire incident is part of a sequence of events that have occurred recently, including the unfounded allegations circulated on social media in December 2024,” he stated.
Justice Varma Calls for Inquiry into His Record
Justice Varma reaffirmed that neither he nor his family had stored any cash in the outhouse and called for an inquiry into his professional record.
“I unequivocally state that neither I nor any of my family members had stored or kept any cash or currency in that storeroom at any point in time. Our cash withdrawals are all documented and made through regular banking channels, UPI applications, and cards. Insofar as the allegation of cash recovery, I once again make it clear that no one from my house ever reported seeing any currency in burnt form,” he emphasized.
He also referenced a statement from the Chief of the Fire Service, which, according to news reports, corroborated his stance.
A Fight to Defend Reputation
Reflecting on the impact of these allegations, Justice Varma lamented that his judicial reputation, cultivated over more than a decade, has been irreparably damaged.
“In the life of a judge, nothing matters more than reputation and character. That has been severely tarnished. The baseless allegations against me have proceeded on mere innuendos and an unproven assumption that the cash allegedly found belonged to me,” he stated.
Justice Varma reiterated his integrity and called for an inquiry into his judicial conduct. “I would also beseech you to consider that in all my years as a High Court judge, no such allegation had ever been made against me. I would be grateful if an inquiry is made into my functioning as a judge and the perception of the legal fraternity regarding my integrity and honesty,” he concluded.
(With inputs from agencies)
