Onlykashmir.in News Desk
New Delhi, August 13: A Lok Sabha committee has found three charges against former Allahabad and Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma to be proved, following an inquiry into the discovery of substantial unexplained cash at his official residence in New Delhi.
The inquiry was ordered after unaccounted Indian currency was discovered at Justice Varma’s official residence at 30 Tughlak Crescent, New Delhi, following a fire during the intervening night of March 14-15, 2025. The committee’s report was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
According to the report, the committee concluded that the allegations concerning discovery and possession of unexplained currency, failure to preserve material evidence, and misleading explanations regarding the unaccounted cash stand proved.
The committee, however, clarified that its findings did not amount to a determination of direct personal ownership of the currency notes in a criminal sense.
The panel said Delhi Fire Service and police personnel had reported seeing large quantities of ₹500 notes in the storeroom, along with burnt, half-burnt and scattered currency and other material. It found that the evidence was not properly preserved or inventoried, making it impossible to determine the exact amount of cash involved.
The committee held that the failure to secure and preserve the evidence constituted a serious lapse. It also rejected Justice Varma’s explanation that he had no access to the storeroom because it was detached from his residence, observing that the storeroom formed part of the official premises occupied by him.
The panel further noted that substantial unexplained currency was found within the official premises and that Justice Varma had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding its presence, source or ownership.
The committee also criticised what it described as evasive and misleading explanations. It noted that Justice Varma initially denied the existence of unaccounted cash but subsequently advanced claims concerning its non-seizure, which the panel said raised questions and could support a wider conspiracy theory without necessarily establishing it in the absence of supporting evidence or witnesses.
The three charges identified by the committee were:
Discovery and possession of unexplained currency
Failure to preserve material evidence
Misleading explanations concerning unaccounted cash
The report marks a significant development in the proceedings concerning the former judge and places the findings before Parliament for further consideration.
