The in-house committee constituted by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna to examine serious allegations against sitting judge Justice Yashwant Varma has submitted its inquiry report to the Supreme Court. The report was submitted to the CJI on May 4, 2025, following over a month of investigation into the alleged recovery of unaccounted cash from Justice Varma’s residence in Delhi.
In an official statement released today, the Supreme Court said:
“The three-member Committee consisting of Mr Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Mr Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh and Ms Justice Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka, constituted for conducting an inquiry into the allegations against Mr Justice Yashwant Varma, a sitting Judge, has submitted its report dated 03.05.2025 to the Chief Justice of India on 04.05.2025.”
Background
The committee was formed on March 22 after a fire broke out on the evening of March 14 at Justice Varma’s residence in Delhi, reportedly leading to the discovery of large amounts of burnt currency notes. Justice Varma and his wife were in Madhya Pradesh at the time of the incident, and only his daughter and elderly mother were at home.
Shortly after the fire, a video surfaced allegedly showing bundles of cash burning inside the residence. The footage was shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and was later made public by the Supreme Court. In an unprecedented move, the Court also released the report of the Delhi High Court Chief Justice along with Justice Varma’s written response, who categorically denied any wrongdoing and claimed the incident was part of a conspiracy to malign him.
Inquiry Proceedings
The three-member panel commenced its investigation on March 25 and finalised the report on May 3. The committee’s mandate was limited to an internal fact-finding exercise as per the Supreme Court’s in-house procedure. The contents of the report have not been made public as of now.
In the meantime, Justice Varma was repatriated to his parent High Court, the Allahabad High Court, where he recently took oath. However, under directions from the Chief Justice of India, his judicial work has been withheld temporarily.
The Allahabad High Court Bar Association had earlier staged protests against his reinstatement, demanding clarity and action in light of the corruption allegations.
Legal and Institutional Response
During the pendency of the internal inquiry, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea seeking registration of an FIR against Justice Varma, citing the ongoing in-house mechanism. Meanwhile, Justice Varma reportedly sought legal counsel, and senior lawyers including Siddharth Agarwal, Arundhati Katju, Tara Narula, Stuti Gujral, and another advocate were seen visiting his residence soon after the inquiry was announced.
What Lies Ahead
The submission of the committee’s report marks a key procedural step, but the future course of action—whether disciplinary, administrative, or further judicial—will depend on the findings and recommendations contained within the confidential report now with CJI Khanna.
