The three-member Lok Sabha committee led by Supreme Court Justice Aravind Kumar, found that all the charges against Justice Yashwant Varma are “proved”.
The panel found that Justice Varma's explanation remained “evasive and unsatisfactory” and he “failed to furnish a satisfactory explanation on the presence and ownership of cash found in store room of his residence”.
The case is related to a fire, which broke out in the official residence of Justice Varma on the night of March 14, 2025. Firefighters called to put out the blaze allegedly discovered massive amounts of burnt currency in a storeroom.
He was a judge of the Delhi High Court and repatriated to his parent court, the Allahabad High Court, following the controversy.
There was much hue and cry in the issue following that Justice Varma resigned. The removal proceedings against him have virtually become infructuous. His resignation, however, has not yet been notified by the Law Ministry.
An in-house committee constituted by then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna concluded that Justice Varma had “active or tacit control” over the specific storeroom where the cash was hidden.
In July 2025, over 200 MPs signed a motion to impeach (removal by Parliament) the judge.
In August last year, Birla constituted the three-member Judges Inquiry Committee to look into the charges.
People aware of the process to appoint and remove Supreme Court and High Court judges cited a top court judgment to say a judge is “deemed to have resigned” once he or she tenders resignation to the President and “circulates” its copy (makes it public).
A judge's resignation is not “subject to acceptance” by the President.
According to the procedure, the president gives “formal acceptance”, following which it is notified by the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry.
Alok Mathur is a law graduate. Journalism is his first love which he now pursues in the latter half of his career. Controversies and crime are the right triggers for him.
