Allegations Against Justice Yashwant Varma Proven: Judges' Panel Finds Interference with Evidence, No Explanat

A three-member judges inquiry committee has found all three charges against former Allahabad High Court Justice Yashwant Varma proved, including possession of substantial unexplained cash at his official residence, interference with material evidence and furnishing evasive and misleading explanations. The committee constituted by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla tabled its report before the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The inquiry concerned the discovery of burnt and partially burnt ₹500 notes following a fire at Justice Varma’s official residence in New Delhi, on the intervening night of March 14 and 15, 2025. Justice Varma was then a judge of the Delhi High Court. “The committee therefore records its final findings that Articles of Charges I, II & III are proved,” the report said. The committee was headed by Supreme Court judge Justice Aravind Kumar and included former Bombay High Court Chief Justice and now Supreme Court Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Senior Advocate BV Acharya. Judges Inquiry Committee, Om Birla The committee found that substantial unexplained ₹500 denomination notes were present in the storeroom and that Justice Varma failed to satisfactorily explain their presence, source or ownership. It relied on the testimony of Delhi Fire Services and Delhi Police personnel who described bundles, heaps and stacks of notes spread across the room. Fire operator Ankit Sehwag said he saw bundles of ₹500 notes over an area extending seven to eight feet from the entrance. Another firefight

Source: Original reporting via Bar and Bench