Justice Yashwant Varma takes oath as Allahabad HC judge despite ongoing inquiry over crores of burnt cash found at his premises

In a move that’s raised more than a few eyebrows, Justice Yashwant Varma took oath on Saturday as a judge of the Allahabad High Court—even as he remains at the center of a swirling controversy. Just last month, authorities allegedly discovered partially burnt sacks stuffed with cash at his residence, casting a long shadow over his appointment.

While the swearing-in ceremony proceeded, sources within the court confirmed that Justice Varma won’t be assigned any judicial duties for now, hinting at the ongoing turbulence behind the scenes.

His transfer from the Delhi High Court came amid an active internal probe, launched by the Chief Justice of India. The investigation was triggered by what’s been described as the recovery of “four to five semi-burnt sacks” of rupee notes, reportedly found at his home following a fire incident.

Adding to the drama, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed just days earlier by advocate Vikash Chaturvedi before the Lucknow bench, urging the court to stall the oath-taking until the inquiry reached its conclusion.

Meanwhile, the backlash from the legal community has been fierce. The Allahabad High Court Bar Association fired off a sharply worded letter condemning the Collegium’s decision, declaring, “We are not a trash bin,” and voicing deep frustration over what they see as a troubling appointment.

Fire ignites suspicion at the judge’s residence

The fire incident occurred at Justice Varma’s residence on 14th March 2025, in the storeroom located in the official bungalow at 30 Tughlak Crescent, New Delhi. According to the police report included in the press note shared by the Supreme Court, a PCR call was placed at 11:43 PM by Justice Varma’s private secretary from a number registered to the Delhi High Court, alerting the authorities about the fire.

Two fire tenders were rushed to the scene. The fire was reportedly confined to a storeroom adjacent to a guard post manned by CRPF personnel. Initial assessment of the incident pointed towards a short circuit as the cause of the fire. However, the discovery of 4–5 half-burnt sacks containing remnants of Indian currency notes raised serious concerns. The press note confirmed that the discovery has prompted a deeper investigation into the matter.

The initial inquiry and the aftermath

On the next day, i.e., 15th March, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, received a call from the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, Sanjay Arora, at around 4:50 PM. He informed Justice Upadhyaya that a fire had occurred in one of the rooms within the premises of the bungalow occupied by Justice Varma.

Upon learning about the discovery of the burnt cash pile, Justice Upadhyaya informed CJI Khanna, who gave instructions to trace the origin of the PCR call. The Commissioner confirmed that the call was made by the private secretary, who had been alerted about the incident by a servant at Justice Varma’s residence.

Justice Upadhyaya then sent the Registrar-cum-Secretary to inspect the site. He checked the room, accompanied by Justice Varma, who had just returned from Bhopal, and his private secretary, who had made the PCR call. The Registrar reported, “It was completely dark inside the room and the walls had developed cracks… all the walls had gone black on account of the fire, and some material was hanging from the roof.” Interestingly, there was no currency found at the spot, as claimed by the police. It was later revealed that the burnt cash and other materials had been removed following the incident.

Days later, the Supreme Court of India launched a high-profile inquiry into an alleged cash pile found at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. 

The Court also released documents, letters exchanged over the matter, photographs, and videos shared by the Delhi Police Chief on its website. The fire incident occurred on 14th March 2025. However, the report of burnt cash only reached the media on 20th March, when alleged sources revealed the information.

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