The Supreme Court has initiated an in-house inquiry against Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, following the discovery of a large amount of unaccounted cash at his residence. The matter came to light after a fire broke out at the judge’s home, prompting firefighters to uncover the stash during their response, according to The Times of India.
Initially, the Supreme Court Collegium moved to repatriate Justice Varma to his parent court — the Allahabad High Court. However, at a full court meeting held Friday morning, all Supreme Court judges agreed that a mere transfer was insufficient in light of the serious nature of the discovery. The bench unanimously opted for a formal in-house investigation as the next step, with the transfer process still pending government approval.
Justice Varma did not preside over court proceedings today. His staff informed that he was on leave.
Born in 1969, Justice Varma completed his law degree from Rewa University in Madhya Pradesh and began his legal career in 1992. He served as special counsel for the Allahabad High Court and as Chief Standing Counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh. He was designated a Senior Advocate in 2013 and appointed as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2014. He became a permanent judge in 2017 and was transferred to the Delhi High Court in October 2021.
