Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 13: Former Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma has been found guilty on all three charges by a three-member inquiry panel constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in connection with the discovery of a large quantity of cash at his official residence in New Delhi.
The panel found that Varma failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the presence, source or ownership of substantial Rs 500 notes found in the storeroom of his official residence at 30 Tughlaq Crescent following a fire during the night of March 14-15, 2025.
According to the report, Delhi Police and fire service personnel who reached the residence after the fire found burnt, partially burnt, wet and scattered Rs 500 notes in the storeroom. Statements of officials, photographs and video recordings were cited as corroborating evidence.
The committee noted that the currency was neither seized nor counted at the scene and no complete inventory was prepared. It therefore said the exact amount of cash could not be determined, while maintaining that the evidence clearly established the presence of a large quantity of Rs 500 notes.
The first charge concerned the presence of a large amount of unexplained cash at government premises under Varma's control. The panel held the allegation proved, stating that the judge had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding the discovery, source or ownership of the money.
The committee clarified that it was not concluding that the currency personally belonged to Varma. However, it held that the presence of substantial cash at premises under his control, coupled with the absence of a satisfactory explanation, was sufficient to establish the charge.
The panel did not accept his arguments concerning his absence from the premises, access to the residence by other people or his claim that the money did not belong to him. It also found no concrete evidence supporting the suggestion that someone had planted the cash as part of a conspiracy.
The second charge related to the handling and preservation of evidence following the fire. The committee found that the condition of the storeroom was altered before the premises could be lawfully sealed and inspected, while the currency subsequently became unavailable.
However, the panel did not directly conclude that Varma personally removed the notes. It held the charge proved on the grounds that crucial evidence was not secured or preserved, the scene was disturbed and the subsequent disappearance of the currency remained unexplained.
The committee also said Varma's response did not adequately explain what steps he took after the incident, what inquiries he made of staff or household members and what measures were taken to secure the scene.
The third charge concerned the explanations given by Varma regarding the cash and the incident. According to the report, he initially denied knowledge of the currency and later raised questions concerning its seizure, counting and removal from the premises.
The panel noted that Varma also referred to the possible involvement of staff and suggested that the cash may have been placed or removed from the storeroom, while raising the possibility of a conspiracy. However, it said no concrete evidence or witnesses were produced to substantiate these claims.
The committee concluded that his explanations were evasive, incomplete and unsatisfactory when assessed against statements of independent officials and other corroborative material.
The panel also raised concerns over the handling of the scene by police and fire officials. It said the failure to seize, inventory and preserve the currency amounted to a serious lapse and contributed to the loss of crucial evidence.
The key finding of the report is that all three charges against Justice Yashwant Varma were proved. At the same time, the committee clarified that it did not make a direct finding that the cash personally belonged to Varma or that he himself removed the notes.